Mr Compton's Children
by Templarlady
Summary: Bill becomes an adoptive maker to Azaria and Lazlo is brought to trial.
1. Chapter 1

The character of Bill belongs to Charliane Harris and Alan Ball. All other characters originate in my own warped imagination.

**Mr Compton's Children**

Azaria had been living with us for about a month when Alex was sent on a residential training course by her employer for two weeks.

I was horrified. "Two weeks!" I cried. "I don't want to be away from you for two days!"

"Oh nonsense" she said briskly "It'll give you and Azaria time to get to know each other better, and hopefully that new room in the basement will be finished by then." She gave me a rather pointed look and I sighed. I had arranged for my underground safe room to be enlarged into a suite which would have a room for Azaria as well and the building work was, as usual, taking much longer than expected. Consequently Alex and I had found it hard to find time to be alone together. With Azaria being around during the night and the builders during the day, Alex had threatened to move out and go back to her own house.

I supposed that I should be thankful that she and Azaria got on so well together. Fortunately they seemed to adore each other and spent so much time together that I almost began to get jealous! But then Azaria had only to look at me with those enormous brown eyes and I caved in almost immediately. She had proved to be a lovely girl with a kind and gentle nature, which appeared to have been entirely undamaged by what we came to refer to as her long hibernation.

At the beginning of the second week after Alex had left I was sitting on a cane sofa on the terrace when Azaria woke and came looking for me. I heard her open the terrace door and turned my head to smile at her.

"Come and sit down." I said. She was wearing a pair of soft sweatpants and a baggy T shirt and she came and sat down beside me pulling her feet up under her and leaning against me to look out and down the hill over the pattern of lights in the town spread out below us.

"You miss her, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes, I do." I said. "I miss her very much."

She sat up and looked at me very seriously. "Am I in the way?" she asked quietly. "I know she loves you very much Bill, I don't want to come between you. I never thought, when I asked Ulrich if you would help me, what a disruptive effect it would have on your life."

I put my arm around her and chuckled "Oh sweetheart, that's not true, of course you're not in the way! We both want to have you here. Obviously we also want to have some time to ourselves, but once the work is finished everything will be fine, you'll see."

She smiled and leaned back against me. "Oh I'm so glad" she said "I love being here with you and Alex, I feel safe and comfortable and...loved" she twisted her head to look up at me. "Does that sound odd? I mean, you hardly know me at all really."

"It's not odd at all" I answered. "After all you've been through it's only natural that you should need to feel loved." I kissed her forehead gently. "I'm very fond of you, and I'm sure Alex will say the same, when she returns."

"Can you feel her?" she asked softly. "Can you tell what she is feeling now?"

I laughed "She's asleep, she's busy during the day and she needs her rest."

"What does it feel like? How does it work?" she asked.

"I can feel...peace, relaxation, it's as if her contentment is filling up a part of me that was empty." I struggled to describe the feeling of having Alex entangled in my soul. "It's almost impossible to explain, you have to feel it, as to how the bond works, no-one really understands that. We just know it happens, with the blood exchange. The more blood you exchange, the stronger the bond becomes. Some bonds are naturally stronger than others though, Alex and I have a very intense bond."

She looked up at me, curiously. "Why did I never hear about it before?" she asked.

"The Blood Bond? We don't talk about it much. It's...powerful, dangerously so. It's not something which should be entered into lightly." I told her, looking down at her seriously.

"What happens if the other person leaves, or...dies?" she asked. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." she looked down, embarrassed.

I put two fingers under her chin and tilted her head up so that she was looking up at me again. "It's alright. I said you could ask me anything, and I meant it." I paused and gave a sigh. "If the other person leaves, the bond will gradually weaken. It requires a regular exchange of blood to keep it strong. If they die..." I stopped and stared blankly out over the hillside for a moment, overwhelmed by memories.

"It happened to you, didn't it?" she whispered. "Someone you had a bond with died?"

"Yes."

"What was it like?" she asked softly.

I was silent for a moment. "It's okay," she said " you don't have to..."

"It felt as if a piece of my soul had been torn away" I whispered.

"And yet you formed a bond with Alex. Why would you put yourself through that again?" she asked.

I laughed and sat up. "Probably because I'm just a soft old romantic" I said looking down at her with a smile. "Sometimes you have to risk your heart Azaria, if you want to achieve true happiness. The pain of loss is terrible, but the love...is worth it." I pulled myself together with an effort. "This is why some vampires never do it, or at least, not more than once. They cut themselves off from all human emotions because they cannot bear to feel that pain, over and over again. But by doing that they become detached completely from humanity and I could never do that. My humanity is important to me and I could never allow myself to lose it...again."

I could see that she wanted to ask about the "again" but she paused and sat quiet for a moment, thinking about this, then turned back to me.

"I was talking to the bouncer at Carmilla's the other day, when we went down there for you to do some paperwork, remember?"

"Ilario? He worships you, almost literally" I said "I think I'll appoint him your personal bodyguard, he would die for you."

"I don't want anyone to die for me."

"Don't worry sweetheart. It's just a figure of speech." I said, giving her a little hug, although I knew that Ilario probably would die for her. I was sure he would certainly kill for her, but I didn't say anything.

"He told me that he had heard stories about me from his Maker" she said.

"Yes, apparently there were legends about you, although I must admit I had never heard them. Ilario's Maker was from Peru so he knew of them."

Azaria sat quietly for a moment, looking thoughtful. "If there were stories about what had happened to me, why did no one search for me as you did? As soon as you heard the legend you came to search for me and you found me."

I smiled down at her. "Well, it wasn't quite as simple as that. The Authority had people looking for you for a very long time, but unfortunately they were looking in the wrong place. The legends said that your casket had been placed in the Temple on the Urubamba river, which of course it had, but what no-one knew was that the casket had been removed in the 16th century and taken to Spain by the monks who accompanied the conquistadores."

I sat back on the couch and looked up at the stars. "It was only when The Authority's contact in the Vatican Archives found Brother Diego's manuscript that we found out that you had been moved."

"That was when you and Alex became involved?"

"That's right" I said "Ulrich asked us for help in obtaining the manuscript and finding you before Lazlo could."

Azaria flinched at the sound of her true Maker's name and pressed closer to me.

"What will happen to him?" she asked softly.

"I don't know" I answered "and, to be perfectly honest, I don't much care so long as it means that neither you nor I nor Alex ever sees him again!" I turned to her and asked "Do you want me to find out?"

"No, I don't really care either" she said. "So long as I never have to see him again!"

"Well" I said carefully "If there is a trial, we will probably have to attend, all three of us. Will you be okay with that?"

She sat in silence for a moment and then looked up at me her eyes bright with tears. "It's so hard" she said "I thought that I loved him once, I tried so hard to please him, but I was so young and inexperienced, my father's servants kept me isolated from young men." I reached down and wiped a tiny red tear from her eye with my thumb. "He said he loved me, but how could he do that to me Bill? How could he betray me? He must have known how I would suffer!"

I lifted her up in my arms and cradled her on my lap, her head on my chest. "I don't know sweetheart" I said "I can't imagine how anyone could do a thing like that." I paused for a moment. "I think he was frustrated, and angry, and he acted without thinking. I think he regretted it later but, by then it was too late, for both of you."

"But you came and rescued me Bill" she said softly "As soon as you knew what had happened to me, you tried to find me. Lazlo knew the location of my temple, all those years he knew where I was and he never came."

There seemed to be nothing to say to this so we sat in silence for a moment.

"He released you?" I asked eventually.

"Yes. He didn't want to but Ulrich….persuaded him" she said.

I didn't think I wanted to know how Ulrich had managed to "persuade" Lazlo to release her, but I was relieved that he had. At least now she would be free of him for ever. I held her slight form in my arms and smiled to myself thinking what a contradiction she was. A vampire who was many centuries old, and yet knew so little of the world. One who was so much stronger and more powerful than I was and yet she relied on me for help and guidance, yes and even for love.

I had found that I had indeed come to love her, as I would love a child. She had so much to learn, she had slept all through the industrial revolution. Things which we took for granted now, such as the internal combustion engine and the internet were like magic to her. Although I knew of many vampires who had refused to embrace the modern era and had no idea of how to utilize the technology available today, they were at least aware of it. She was different in that these things were completely new to her. It was as if she had awoken on a different planet!

I could not imagine how I would react in her circumstances and I felt an almost overwhelming urge to protect her from the outside world. Something I had not felt since the day I held my daughter Sarah in my arms for the first time. A ridiculous idea of course. She didn't need me to protect her from the world, she needed me to teach her how to live in it. She wasn't a child, despite her appearance. She had the potential to be an extremely dangerous creature, although she was so gentle and kind I could not imagine that she would ever be otherwise. But then I had considered myself to be gentle and kind in my human life and yet I had been corrupted by my Maker, had allowed myself to fall into the darkness. I told myself that I would never allow this to happen to Azaria. She was my child now and I would take care of her and teach her what I wished I had known from the start. That we could live in this world alongside humans, that we could come out of the shadows, out of the nightmares and have the kind of existence of which I had dreamed for all those long years with Lorena.

Finally, the renovations were complete, just in time for Alex's return. Azaria and I had spent a quiet week, talking of her life with Lazlo and I had begun to understand her relationship with him a little better. Although it seemed that the more I learned about him, the more relieved I became that he was safely under lock and key in one of The Authority's numerous bases.

One of the things that Azaria told me during that week I had no idea how to deal with and I hoped that Alex would be able to give me some guidance on her return.

At dusk on the Friday night I rose feeling an unaccustomed exhilaration, knowing that Alex was on her way home. I stood by the terrace door feeling her coming closer, I could sense a rising excitement which I was sure was not entirely mine. Then I heard her car pull into the long driveway and I couldn't stop myself. I ran to the front door and opened it, just as her car pulled up in the yard outside. She got out and came over to me and I stood for a moment just looking at her. Her cotton shirt was crumpled by the seat belt and her tousled hair held back from her brow by the huge sunglasses she had worn at the start of her drive home, before the late evening sun had set.

She stood up on tiptoe and gave me a quick kiss, then turned away.

"Oh no you don't Miss!" I said snatching her up into my arms. "That's not nearly enough to satisfy me after a whole two weeks!"

She laughed. "Just let me get my bags inside first please?"

I helped her fetch her bags from the car and put them in the hallway and then caught her back up in my arms and began kissing her properly. I carried her into the lounge and sat down on the couch with her on my knees, our lips fused together in the kind of burning kiss that I had been fantasising about for a fortnight. I felt her warm tongue slide between my lips and begin to lick gently around the base of my fangs, which had dropped the second I saw her get out of the car. Her hands moved up into my hair as she held my head still and I took the opportunity to pull the shirt out of the waistband of her cotton trousers and slide my hands up to her breasts. She chuckled and let go of my head, her hands moving to the buttons on her shirt, undoing them slowly and with some considerable difficulty since I was reluctant to release her mouth from mine.

Belatedly I remembered that she needed to breathe occasionally and let her come up for air. She gave a little gasp and unfastened the top button, pulling the shirt open for me. I reached out and took a lace covered breast in each hand, squeezing gently and rubbing my thumbs over her nipples. She sighed and lay back against the couch as I kissed the base of her throat and began to lay a trail of kisses down her chest until I was sliding my tongue under the lace of her bra. She reached around and unfastened it letting her full, heavy breasts fall forward into my waiting hands. I bent down further and took one of her nipples between my lips, suckling gently on it, pulling it into my mouth and stroking it with my tongue, feeling it stiffen under my gentle encouragement.

Sliding down onto my knees on the carpet I felt the harsh denim of my jeans rubbing viciously against my agonisingly stiff manhood. Struggling to ignore my instinct to tear the clothes from her body and drag her down onto the floor alongside me I reached over and began to unfasten her trousers.

"Mmmm...shall I give you a hand with that?" she asked softly, raising her hips so that I could pull the thin cotton trousers down her smooth golden legs. I reached up to carefully remove her lacy panties the same way. Then I grasped her hips and pulled her forward until her beautiful bottom was resting on the edge of the couch and I was kneeling on the floor between her spread thighs. I leaned down and planted a kiss on the inside of her thigh moving gradually upwards until I was nuzzling into the soft hair around my goal. I slid my tongue along the folds of flesh tasting the sweet honey that I loved, that she produced just for me. She shuddered and spread her legs wider, inviting me to carry on, so I obliged her, licking delicately around her soft entrance, flicking my tongue gently over the sensitive little bud and listening for her little moans.

She reached down and pushed her fingers into my hair, pulling my head closer, trying to encourage my efforts, giving little cries of pleasure with each gentle stroke of my tongue. I slid my tongue into her and she gasped, pushing herself forward on the edge of the couch, trying to pull me deeper, but I pulled back and continued to tease her with more gentle kisses as she squirmed under my hands, trying to push herself closer.

"Oh Bill, please..." she whined softly.

I shifted my knees and, looking down, realised that the bulge in the front of my jeans was now so hard I was going to have some trouble getting them off! I reached up and pulled her nude body off the couch and into my arms. Laying her gently down on the rug, I began to struggle to free myself from the tight prison of my jeans. I gritted my teeth and wriggled out of them while Alex watched me and giggled quietly.

"Oh, you poor baby" she whispered. "Let me kiss it better for you!"

This sounded like an excellent idea to me so I moved forward to straddle her chest, my knees on the rug on either side of her, my stiff shaft seeming to strain forward towards her lips of it's own accord. As she reached up and curled her warm, soft tongue around me I suddenly realised that this was not such a good idea after all. I felt myself twitch and jerk against her lips and I knew I would not be able to hold back much longer.

"Wait, wait..." I murmured. "I want to be inside you."

She pulled back her lips, dragging her tongue along the underside of my shaft, making me groan with the strain. I reached down and took her by the upper arms, pulling her forward until I could position myself between her thighs and push myself into her with a moan of relief.

"Oh yes..." I whispered, flexing my hips to work myself deeper into her warm, welcoming flesh. She ran her hands up my chest and pulled up her knees on either side of my hips as I felt the pressure within me release as I poured myself into her with a cry of rapture. I put my arm around her waist and pulled her over onto her side so that we were lying face to face, our bodies still locked together, one of her legs flung over my hip.

"I'm sorry" I whispered "I couldn't hold back any longer, it's been too long..."

She laughed, running her hand down my back and onto my buttocks, pulling me closer. "I'm sure you'll make it up to me" she murmured softly, leaning across to brush her lips against mine.

"Well yes, that's the plan!" I said, closing my mouth over hers and kissing her, feeling myself hardening again already inside her warm embrace. I rolled over onto my back on the rug, pulling her up on top of me and gave a little cry I as felt her sink back down onto me, her smooth thighs resting across my hips, her knees on the rug on either side of my waist. She leaned back, impaled on my rapidly swelling member and held still as I ran my hands up her body reaching for her full breasts which swayed gently above me. I wanted to sit up and pull her closer to me but she began to move her hips, leaning back to brace her hands on my thighs and closing her eyes as she took over, controlling the depth and angle of my penetration to suit her pleasure. I lay back luxuriating in the sensation of her hot flesh sucking at my length and watched her, observing the expressions chase each other across her face, concentration, contentment, pleasure and finally a gasping ecstasy as she used my body to bring herself to a climax.

I smiled up at her "You enjoyed that? You like being in charge?" I asked.

"Ooh yes" she said breathlessly "that was fun….well, much more than fun actually!"

I took hold of her hips, rocking her gently on top of me, enjoying the feel of her soft flesh around me. I braced my feet on the floor and sat up, watching a thin trickle of sweat run down her neck and between her breasts. I leaned forward and licked at it, loving the salty taste of her and running my tongue up to the hollow of her throat. I pulled her head towards me and buried my face in her neck, breathing in the familiar scent of her, feeling her heart pounding against me. As I held her in my arms I could feel her arousal increasing through the bond we shared. Placing my mouth over the vein in her neck I began to kiss her, my fangs trying to extend further to pierce her flesh. She began to squirm on my lap, rocking her hips, building up that delicious friction between our bodies and, just as I thought I couldn't bear the tension any longer, she leaned her head to one side and whispered.

"Do it Bill, please…..bite me".

My mouth was already on her neck and I gave a sigh and bit down, feeling my razor sharp fangs slicing into her flesh until I felt as though I was completely buried inside her. I eased them out carefully, sealed my lips around the wound so as not to waste a single drop of her delicious blood and began to suck hard, and as I did so both our bodies began to convulse in unison as we reached a simultaneous climax in each others arms.

We sat for a while on the rug, Alex on my lap, my arms around her, holding her body against mine, feeling the little aftershocks run through her and I bent my head to lick at the wound on her throat, encouraging it to heal itself. After a moment she looked up into my eyes and said.

"Oh Bill, I've missed you so much!"

"Not as much as I've missed you!" I said fervently, leaning in for another kiss. "Please tell me you don't have any more training courses coming up? I don't think I could cope!"

She laughed, making me groan as her body jerked in my arms. "No, not for a while. So, what have you been up to while I've been away?"

"I've not been up to anything! But I'm planning to be….any minute now!"

"Oh Bill, please!"

"Don't you "Oh Bill" me Miss!" I laughed "I've got a fortnight's worth of lonely nights to make up for!"

"Not all at once!" she squeaked. "You'll kill me!" She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. "If you're planning to ravish me again can we at least go somewhere a little more comfortable?" she asked with a smile.

"Hmmm…..yes okay, I think I can wait that long" I said, easing myself out of her body and standing up with her in my arms. Seconds later I was punching in the code at the security door and then we were in what I had come to think of as "our" room. I sat down on the edge of the bed and set Alex down in front of me. She stood gazing down at me for a moment, her hands on my shoulders, appearing to examine every inch of my body. Then she climbed onto the bed, straddling me with her knees on either side of my hips.

"You haven't been on your own though, have you?" she said. "You've had Azaria to keep you company. So, how are you getting along with her?" she asked. "I have to admit that part of the reason I agreed to go on this course was to give you two a chance to have some time together."

"It was?" I asked. "There was really no need to go to those lengths."

"Well?"

I sighed and put my arms around her, trying to focus my lust crazed brain on something other than the breasts with their stiff pink nipples swaying an inch from my nose. "She's a lovely girl, intelligent and caring. It's incredible that she's able to function normally at all considering what she's been through. Even when she was with Lazlo she only fed on her servants and glamoured them afterwards."

"She didn't kill them?" she asked.

"No. She didn't want to...but also it would have been too dangerous. Lazlo hunted among the general population and tried to get her to join him but she wouldn't, at least, she says not."

"Don't you believe her?" she asked.

"Yes, yes I do." I smiled reminiscently "she's a gentle soul, I've become very fond of her."

I put my arms around her waist, pulled her over me onto the bed and crouched over her. "Stop trying to distract me you bad girl!" I said "Or I'll have to teach you to behave yourself."

"How, exactly would you like me to behave?" she laughed. "Like this?" She reached up and ran her hand down my belly grasping my stiff shaft in her warm fingers. I gasped as she squeezed her hand downwards, easing her fingers between my legs and stroking me gently.

"Mmm…. That's a good start" I murmured, closing my eyes and relaxing. "Oh yes, that's good." In just a few moments I began to feel a familiar ache between my legs and pulled back from her hands. I leaned forwards and brushed my lips across hers. "I want you so much" I whispered.

"I want you too" she breathed, arching her back and pressing her hips up against mine, rubbing her wet, slick flesh against my hard length. I held myself still, crouched over her, feeling her warm flesh sliding over me until I could no longer bear it. I shifted my hips slightly and with her next stroke I pushed forwards to meet her, sliding my aching member back into her with a sigh of relief. She gave a little moan of contentment, reached up and pulled me down on top of her, wrapping her arms around me, hugging me to her, squirming and writhing beneath me as I drove myself into her over and over again. I began to feel as though the dim lights were growing dimmer, that the darkness was closing in around me, but for some reason this didn't concern me in the slightest. I felt strong and powerful, hungry for Alex's body and her blood, knowing that I could carry on like this all night. That I wanted to carry on all night. I looked down at Alex. Her eyes were closed and she gave a little gasping moan with each thrust. Her body was slick with sweat and I could feel through the bond that she was at that peak of arousal where every touch was enhancing her pleasure, causing her muscles to spasm around me.

I paused and pulled out of her for a moment. "Are you okay precious?" I asked.

"Oh yes!" she said. Somehow my brain appeared to block out everything else. I could hear my voice murmuring to her but somehow, I couldn't grasp what I was saying. I pulled her onto her side and slid my hand down over her bottom just as the darkness took me.

* * *

I lay exhausted and limp across the bed. Bill, however, was just getting into his stride.

"Are you okay precious?" he whispered.

"Oh yes!" I murmured "I just feel like my muscles have all dissolved, I can't move."

"Shame" he whispered, "I want more of you, I've missed you so much, I can't get enough of you….." He rolled me on my side and lay behind me pulling my hips back into his groin and sliding his fingers back inside me.

"Oh….Bill!" I moaned as I felt his fingers stretching me, "Please…..I need to sleep."

I tried to move away but his arms tightened around me possessively. "But I want you….now, I want you again." His voice had turned cold and dark, like thick treacle pouring into my ear. His long fingers curled inside me, stroking me firmly as he rubbed his body up against me like a great cat. He withdrew his hand and flipped me over onto my stomach, his hands curling around my hips and lifting me up off the bed. I felt him move behind me, felt the muscles in his thighs flex as he pressed himself against my buttocks and drove his full length into me deeply with a snarl.

I tried to raise myself on my hands but I was too weak and Bill placed his hand on my shoulder, pushing my face down into the pillows and wound my long hair around his wrist, using it to hold me down. He leaned down over me and began to nuzzle at my hairline, his long fangs scraping across my neck. I felt his cool lips brush across my skin and then he bit down into the back of my neck, not deeply as he would do to feed, just holding me in his jaws as he continued to thrust into me. For the very first time I felt that I was in the arms of a truly dangerous creature. He had always been so tender and careful with me but now, something seemed to have broken in him, as if some restraint had been removed and I could feel rather than hear a deep growling coming from his chest as he drove himself into me.

My thighs were wet with a mixture of my juices and his and I felt as though my insides had turned to the consistency of soft butter. As he continued to work himself deeper and deeper into me I wondered for the first time if he might actually kill me. I seriously doubted whether my exhausted body was capable of any further response to his ministrations but I was mistaken. To my astonishment I felt a familiar pressure building up inside me, my stomach muscles began to cramp until I could no longer bear the agonising pressure and I cried out just as something appeared to snap inside me and a flood of ecstasy poured out from the core of my being, smothering the pain in a burst of intense pleasure more powerful than anything I had ever felt before. Just at that moment Bill let out that same savage coughing snarl that I had heard from him in Azaria's crypt and exploded inside me in an equally shattering climax.

I woke slowly, dragging myself up from the depths, and sighed, rolling over and expecting to find Bill beside me. I had been lying curled up on my side, the quilt carefully tucked around me. I smiled at the thought that Bill must have settled me into bed as I couldn't remember getting under the quilt, couldn't in fact remember anything after Bill's snarling inhuman orgasm. I wanted to be in his arms but to my surprise the bed was empty. I peered around into the darkness and saw nothing so I reached for my phone and looked at the screen for the time. It was well past dawn, he shouldn't be up at this time, where on earth was he? I sat up and looked through the open door into the bathroom, but it was also empty.

"Bill?" I called, "Where are you?"

I flicked on the bedside lamp, turned around and saw him. He was sitting hunched over in the corner of the room, as far away from me as he could get with his head in his hands.

"Bill? What's wrong" I asked climbing out from under the quilt and moving down the bed on my hands and knees. He heard me and looked up and I stopped. His normally pale face was white with shock and there were two dark streaks of dried blood running from his eyes and down his chest, the dark lines standing out starkly against his pale skin. He saw me and pushed himself back into the corner, trying to back away, as though he were afraid of me.

"What is it sweetheart?" I asked, wondering what on earth was wrong, but as I moved I felt the soreness between my legs and I understood.

"No! Please!" He whispered, getting up and holding up his hand as if to stop me. "Please stay where you are." He got up and came over to sit beside me. "Please tell me you're okay?"

"I'm fine, really." I shifted a little uncomfortably. "Just a little sore, that's all."

Bill was sitting absolutely still, watching me. "You're bleeding, I can smell it." He said softly. "I've hurt you."

I looked down to see a smear of blood on my thigh. "Oh!" I hadn't actually noticed and I looked back to see a tiny trail of red on the sheet. "It's just a drop Bill, I'm a little sore that's all. I'll be fine. I promise you."

"I've hurt you, I'm so sorry but, I…I can't even really remember what happened. I can remember…..well…" he looked up at me with such a guilty, hangdog expression that I actually laughed.

"You enjoyed it then?" I said, and immediately regretted it as his expression turned to one of absolute horror. "Oh please Bill…..don't look at me like that, darling. Come here." I said firmly. "Now listen" I said "I know what this is about. You feel that you lost control earlier and you're afraid that you hurt me, that you're not safe, that I can't trust you, right?"

"I did!" he whispered guiltily. "I lost control completely, I promised myself I would never do that, never harm you….." his voice trailed off softly and he looked up at me helplessly. "I'm so, so sorry…"

I reached for him. "Bill, I'm alright, really. I was sleeping peacefully just now. Do you think I'd be able to do that if I was seriously hurt? Last night was wonderful, amazing, I never knew I could feel like that, that I could experience such…absolute bliss! I realise you lost it a little, I think it was probably the growling and the way you held me down with my neck in your jaws like those mating lions you see in wildlife documentaries that gave it away!"

Bill's eyes widened and he tried to back away again but I put my arms around him and hugged him to me.

"I didn't?" he whispered "did I….?"

"Yes, you did" I giggled. "And do you know what? I really, really hate having to admit this, but I enjoyed it."

He turned his head to look me in the eyes for the first time.

"It was….a little scary, but exciting, I've never had such a powerful orgasm before." I said looking down at my hands, highly embarrassed.

He sat silent for a moment. "You really know so little about me" he said, "if you knew some of the things I've done….you wouldn't trust me the way you do.

"You mean things you did in the past, over a century ago, when you were with Lorena?" I asked. He nodded silently. "Bill, I know enough about you to know that you're not that person anymore."

"It's not that simple Alex" he sighed "I only wish it was. You remember when I did that TV interview, the interviewer asked me if I thought I was a monster? I said I tried not to be. But the truth is I am. I try very hard not to be, to keep the monster under control, but however much I succeed in hiding it, the monster is always there, just beneath the surface. There have been times in the past when it has taken over completely. When I have done things that I could never tell you about, things I'm so ashamed of.

I manage to keep it under control most of the time but at times like this, when I'm with you, it's very close. I'm afraid that I won't be able to control it. It wants you Alex, I can feel it. I felt it last night. It wants your body, your blood, it wants to rip into your flesh, drain you, ravish you."

"And did it succeed?" I asked.

He looked up at me, shocked.

"Well? You think the monster got loose earlier, right?" I asked. "I'm not dead or drained am I? Okay, a little ravished maybe, but I'm not complaining!...much."

I leaned on him and put my head on his shoulder. "Bill, sweetheart, you've always been so gentle with me, so careful and considerate and I appreciate it really. I know that you're afraid of hurting me and I love the fact that you can be so gentle, but I'm not made of porcelain you know, I won't break if you're just a little rough with me. Don't misunderstand me, I know there's darkness in you, I know you can be dangerous, I've always known. I'm sure that you could hurt me, badly, if you wanted to, but you don't, and I don't believe you would."

Bill stared at me, his bright blue eyes wide with surprise.

"Even when you did lose control you didn't really hurt me, you were just a little rough. Believe me I know of girls whose boyfriends have hurt them far worse than that, and they were human and didn't have a fraction of your strength!"

Bill reached out, took me in his arms and laid me down gently on the quilt. He ran his hand down my body to my hips and lay down beside me, his head against my thigh.

"You know I would never knowingly hurt you" he said softly "I'm just afraid of what I might do unknowingly." He kissed my thigh tenderly and began to gently lick the tiny streak of blood from my skin. He moved up between my legs and I ran my fingers through his hair and held his head against my thighs. I could feel a different kind of wetness running down between my legs as his tongue gently licked at me, healing my sore flesh with his tears.

We eventually fell asleep in each others arms and I didn't wake until dusk the next day. I turned to Bill and saw a trickle of blood running down his neck from his ear. The bleeds, I knew it. He shouldn't have been up so late. I lay looking down at his still form thinking about the contradictions in his nature. He was such a gentle creature and yet he had the potential to be extraordinarily dangerous. I was convinced that he would never harm me deliberately and yet he was obviously afraid of the possibility of doing so unknowingly. I felt sure that something must have happened in the past to cause him to worry about this. I remembered him telling me that there would be times when I would not be safe around him, when he would be unable to control his hunger. I had not believed him at the time, or rather I had not wanted to believe him. But I had seen Gerry and Charles struggle to prise his fangs from my wrist when I had fed him after he was shot and I knew that he was right.

As I sat gazing down at him his eyes flickered open, surprising me yet again with their brilliance. He smiled up at me. "You didn't run away then?" he asked.

"Now why would I want to do that when I have all I want right here?"

He reached over and took my hand pulling it to his lips and kissing it gently. I lay down and snuggled up against him putting my arm around his waist and laying my head on his shoulder.

"So" I said "You were telling me about Azaria, before you got distracted last night."

"Yes" said Bill, pulling me a little closer. "She's a sweet child, not really suited to be a vampire. After last night I'm wondering if I'm the right person to advise her. I didn't set a very good example then did I?"

"Oh Bill, will you stop that please? You know I think you're being foolishly sensitive about this! Most other vampires wouldn't give it a second thought."

"I am not most other vampires!" he said, his voice taut with anger.

"Exactly!" I replied triumphantly "and that's why you are the perfect person!"

Bill narrowed his eyes at me and then sighed. "I walked right into that didn't I?" he said.

I giggled. "Yep! You certainly did! But that doesn't make it any less true. Besides you've done it before and that turned out okay didn't it?"

Bill looked at me with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean? You know I've never been a Maker."

"Well, not technically perhaps...but what about Claudia? She said she'd never have survived her first year without your help and guidance."

Bill sat back and stared at me in astonishment. "Do you know, I'd never thought of that! But I suppose you're right."

"At dinner in Amsterdam she said she met you in a bar in London in 1982."

"Yes, that's right." he said.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" I asked tentatively.

He bent his head and kissed me gently on the forehead. "Of course, if you'd like to hear about it?"


	2. Chapter 2

**London 1982**

It was the evening of 19th July when I walked into a pub on Kensington High Street and noticed the woman sitting at the bar. She drew my eye immediately, not only because she was tall and elegant with glossy chestnut coloured hair, although that was probably why I first noticed her, but because on my second glance I realised that she was vampire. She didn't seem like a vampire. It's difficult to explain quite what I mean by that, she seemed, diffident somehow, lacking in the confidence we usually have and I assumed that she must be very young and began checking around the bar for her Maker. I had no wish to get into an argument with another, possibly much older vampire.

I could see no-one in the immediate area and so I went up to the bar and sat down on a stool a few feet away from her. She gave me a quick glance and then looked away. I was surprised to see that she seemed to have no idea what I was.

"Good evening." I said. "May I buy you a drink?"

She turned to me with a start. "No thank you" she said in a small voice "I don't...um..."

"It's usually a good idea to have one though." I said quietly "Otherwise people will wonder what you're doing here?" I smiled at her and let my fangs slide out a little. Her eyes widened for a moment and then flicked up to the barman who had just come over.

"Can I help you sir?" he asked. I retracted my fangs quickly and turned to him. "Whisky please and a brandy for the lady." I smiled at him. "She's had a bit of a shock." He turned away and a few moments later placed the drinks on the bar and I paid him. "So," I said, glancing around to see that we were not overheard, "what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I don't know...I..." she put a hand up to her head and pushed her glossy hair back from her face.

"Okay," I said calmly "let's start at the beginning shall we? I'm Bill. What's your name?"

"Claudia...my name's Claudia."

"You seem a little lost Claudia, how long have you been..."

"A week...ten days" she said softly.

"And where is your Maker Claudia?" I asked.

"I don't know" she looked at me helplessly. "He left a few days ago and never returned." She leaned towards me and whispered "He told me not to leave the house but I had to...I'm so hungry..."

I thought for a moment. Did I really want to get involved in this? It was, after all, none of my business. Then I looked back at Claudia and saw the helpless expression in her beautiful eyes and I got down from the stool with a sigh and held out my hand to her. "Come with me Claudia." I said. She simply sat for a moment watching me and then appeared to come to a decision. She stepped down from her stool and placed her hand in mine.

Claudia and I walked back to her Maker's apartment which turned out to be in an expensive block on South Carriage Drive overlooking Hyde Park. I looked around in awe at the luxurious surroundings.

"This is your Maker's property?" I asked.

"I don't think so" she said "He said the owner was abroad, but I don't know how long for. I'm sorry….I really don't know very much at all."

I smiled at her. "Don't worry, you wait here, I'll be back soon, trust me."

I left the apartment and set off across the park. Within half an hour I was back, accompanied by a girl wearing the sort of outfit which had probably never been seen in these refined streets before.

"Oooh…this is nice. You must be doin' alright love." She said as I opened the apartment door for her. She walked in and saw Claudia sitting in an armchair by the fireside.

"This is my friend Claudia." I said with a smile. She turned to me with a patient expression "Oh now look mate, I'm not into any of that kinky stuff…." by this time I had caught her eye and pulled her mind under my control. She stopped and simply stood silent, watching me as I beckoned to Claudia.

"Dinner!" I said with a smile.

Claudia got up and came over to me. "How did you do that?" she asked, examining the girl closely.

"Your Maker didn't show you?"

"I saw him do it a few times, it's like hypnotism?" she asked.

"Something like that" I said. "I'll explain it later, for now you need to feed. But I should warn you, I don't know what your Maker did, but I won't let you kill her." Claudia looked up at me.

"I don't know…"

"You go ahead, I'll stop you if I think it's necessary." I said firmly.

Claudia's fangs were already out and she put her arms around the girl and bit down into her neck. I watched the girl's blank gaze carefully, waiting for the spark in her eyes to begin to fade, but before then Claudia stopped and pulled away, licking her lips fastidiously.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes, fine" she said, watching me as I turned to the girl and explained to her that she would feel weak for a few days but that she shouldn't worry. That she should take some Iron Supplements and Vitamins and she'd be fine. I told her that she would not remember what had happened to her tonight, it was just a normal night. That she would go home and sleep and when she woke she would not recall anything about us.

I watched her carefully as she walked to the door and noted that she seemed to be steady on her feet and able to get home without assistance. I closed the door behind her and turned back to see Claudia sitting in the armchair watching me with a quizzical expression.

"If she had been too weak to walk, you'd have gone with her wouldn't you? To see that she got home safely?" she asked. "Why would you do that? Simon would never have done that. He despised humans, he referred to them as cattle."

"Simon?"

"That was his name, my Maker."

"Well, I'm not Simon!" I said firmly. "If you want my help, you'll have to learn to do things my way, not his. Did he teach you to kill them when you fed?"

"Yes" she said quietly, as if she were afraid I'd disapprove. "I didn't know there was any other way!"

"Well, now you do know." I said with a reassuring smile. "Why should they have to die just to provide us with a meal, when it's not necessary?"

Suddenly she smiled at me and it was as if a light had come on behind her beautiful, chocolate brown eyes. "Oh, I'm so glad" she said. "I hated the thought that someone had to die for me."

I sat down on the sofa and leaned forward, my elbows on my knees. "What happened to you?" I asked curiously. "Did you know him before... did you know what was going to happen to you?"

"No, I had no idea" I met him one night in the park. I'd just left my friends and was on my way home. He stepped out onto the path in front of me, I just remember thinking that he was very pale and then the next thing I remember was waking up here."

So Simon, whoever he was, had glamoured Claudia and turned her completely against her will and even without her knowledge, I thought. The poor girl, she could have had no idea what was happening to her.

"Did he explain what he had done to you, afterwards, at least?" I asked.

"Oh yes" she said. "We talked for hours, well….I cried for a while" she smiled at me. "I don't know what good that was supposed to do. He said he had been watching me for a long time, said that he loved me. He obviously expected me to feel the same way, but I didn't even know him! How could I be expected to love him?" Her voice grew angry as she tried to explain and I reached over and put my hand on her arm.

"Trust me, I know exactly how you feel." I said with some sympathy. "The same thing happened to me."

Her head snapped up "Really? When was that…..oh perhaps I shouldn't ask that."

I laughed. "It was about 120 years ago now, you'd think I'd have got over it, wouldn't you?"

"And have you?"

"Not entirely – I don't think you ever do." I patted the sofa beside me and she came over and sat down. I put my arm around her and slowly, hesitantly, I told her my story. Of how I had been on my way home from the war, through the woods to Bon Temps and had met Lorena. Of how she had decided that I was an honourable man, the kind of man she wanted and had simply taken me, snatched me out of my life and away from my wife and children. How for the next 70 years I had wandered the world with her, helpless, lost, trying to make some sense of my existence, praying for a release from the nightmare in which I found myself. How at first I had been horrified at what had happened to me and then, when I realised that there was nothing I could do to change my situation, how I had tried to please her by embracing what she called "our nature". How for a while I had slipped into the darkness which surrounds our kind, thrown away my humanity, done things…..terrible things, things I would regret for as long as I walked the earth. I tried so hard to love her, she was all I had and I knew that, despite her cruelty, in her own twisted way she loved me desperately. But in the end I….I just couldn't do it any longer.

I stopped, and looked round to see Claudia gazing at me sadly with those enormous dark eyes.

"What did you do?" she whispered.

"For a long time I was lost to the darkness" I said softly "It's so easy for us… to let yourself fall into that frame of mind, to believe that you truly are a monster. That you are something more than human, that you have some kind of right to hunt and kill without mercy, that it is "our nature" as Lorena always put it." I sighed "Perhaps for some it is. After all we were all human once and some humans are monsters too. But I wasn't, and I knew this, deep down I knew that this wasn't what I was. Yes, I'd killed men. I was a soldier, I'd had no choice. But I was also a husband, a father. I knew that, whatever had been done to me, even if I had been turned into a monster, that wasn't all I was. Part of me was still there. One night we had another fight and I told her that it was over, that she had to let me go. I told her that if she did not release me I would destroy myself, that I would rather meet the true death than go on."

"She believed you?" asked Claudia.

"Oh yes. I meant it and she knew that." I stopped, as I felt a tear form in my eye as I recalled that terrible night in Los Angeles. "For a moment I thought that she would refuse, that perhaps this truly was to be the end of my suffering. I remember wondering if I would see my Caroline again…and then she said it. That she released me. It was as if something had broken. Somehow I knew that she no longer had any power over me, that I was free at last. But free to do what?"

I stopped and looked down at Claudia and smiled. "This isn't really helping you is it" I asked with a laugh.

"Oh but it is!" she said. "I've been so afraid that I would change, become like him, like Simon, heartless and cruel. "You've shown me that I don't have to. That perhaps I can live with this after all." She smiled at me. A genuine smile full of warmth.

I smiled back. "It'll be dawn soon, I should be leaving."

"Oh do you have to?" she asked "I was hoping you'd stay." She looked down at her hands. "That is, if you don't mind?"

"Where do you sleep?" I asked.

"The apartment has a basement, it's light tight. Simon and I slept there. You could stay with me." She looked up at me hopefully.

I glanced at my watch to see that the dawn was, in fact, closer than I had thought. "Thank you" I said "I'd like that."

She stiffened suddenly and looked slightly embarrassed. "Simon always expected me to….um….."

I gave a resigned little sigh. "Yes, I expect he did. Why does that not surprise me?" I reached over and tilted up her chin so that she was looking into my eyes. "Claudia, I will not expect you to have sex with me….okay?"

She looked back up at me, her expression a mixture of relief and, rather to my surprise, what might have been disappointment. She smiled. "Okay" she said "This way". She stood up and moved to a bookcase on the far wall. She pressed a panel beside the bookcase and it swung open revealing a flight of steps going down.

I paused and examined the bookcase. "You said this was not Simon's apartment?" I asked.

"No. Why?" she asked turning back to me.

"A disguised doorway leading down to a secret, light tight basement?" I said "This place belongs to a vampire! I'm guessing he borrowed it from a friend. Still, we can worry about that later, we should get downstairs."

We hurried down the steps and Claudia pushed open a door leading to a small room containing a double bed and a dresser. We lay down on the bed side by side and surrendered to the pull of the dawn.

When I woke at dusk Claudia was still sleeping and I got up quietly and went upstairs into the apartment. I had felt a disturbance during my sleep. I wasn't sure what had caused it but I felt that something wasn't right, something was happening outside. Going to the window which overlooked the Park I looked out and froze with shock. The whole area was alive with police, army, reporters, TV, you name it and they were out there. There was a TV set in the corner of the room and I turned it on and tuned to a news programme.

I sat and watched in horror as the news unfolded, explaining the chaos outside. As I watched the basement door opened and Claudia came out.

"Oh there you are" she said with relief, "I was afraid you'd left."

"We need to get out of here, right now!" I said, not taking my eyes off the TV screen. "It's going to be far too dangerous for us to stay here."

"What's happened?" She asked.

"Take a look outside." I said getting up and following her to the window.

"Oh my…" she stood looking out of the window as I came up behind her. "What on earth's going on? What's that?" she pointed to one of several large mounds in the road, each covered with a tarpaulin, great dark stains surrounding them on the tarmac.

"A bomb was left in a car parked outside, a nail bomb. It was set off by remote control just as a troop of the Blues and Royals, The Household Cavalry, were passing after the Changing of the Guard. The blast killed four soldiers of the Blues and Royals and peppered the rest of the troop, their horses and the crowd with nails and shrapnel. The other soldiers in the procession were all badly wounded as well as a lot of the crowd. Those tarpaulins are to cover the seven dead horses."

I put my arm around Claudia who stood gazing out across the Park in shock.

"That's not all." I said "According to the TV reports a second bomb went off two hours later under the bandstand in Regents Park during a performance by the Royal Green Jackets band. Again the crowd was showered with shrapnel from the iron bandstand and the entire band was either killed or wounded. Seven of the bandsmen were killed outright."

I took her hands and turned her to face me. "We have to get out of here now. We can't afford to have anyone coming in here trying to question us. Security is going to be really tight around here, around the whole of London. You understand, you can't stay here and wait for Simon, we have to leave."

I stood watching the panicked expression on Claudia's face. I knew it would be hard for her to disobey her Maker and leave the apartment but she was quick enough to appreciate that I was right, she couldn't stay here. Already we could see from the window, teams of Police officers gathering to begin visiting the neighbouring apartments.

"But how are we going to be able to leave?" she asked "There are Police and Army units everywhere, we'll be stopped and questioned!"

"If we go out onto the street, yes" I said. "But we're not going that way. Come with me." I took her hand and tried to move to the door but she pulled me back.

"No, wait a moment. There are a few things I need, please? I won't be long." She looked at me with such a pleading expression that I realised I could not expect to rip her away from her life completely.

"Okay, but be quick" I said.

I stood back from the window so that I could not be seen from outside and watched the TV crews setting up lights and cameras and interviewing anyone who stood still for long enough. In a few moments Claudia was back wearing a pair of jeans, some tough looking boots and a khaki jacket, with a small rucksack which she strapped to her back.

I held out my hand and she placed her small hand in mine. "Ready?" I asked.

She took a last glance around the apartment and then looked up at me trustingly. "Yes! Let's go."

I eased the door open and looked out cautiously into the foyer. There was no sign of anyone yet so we hurried over to the stairs. Claudia looked puzzled but said nothing and followed me up to the top floor of the four storey building. There was a locked door at the end of the corridor but a quick tug broke the lock and we ran up a short flight of steps and through another door onto the flat roof of the building.

The front edge of the roof was bordered by a parapet about three feet high and the bright lights put in place by the Police and the TV crews meant that anything outside the range of those lights was, for all practical purposes, invisible from the ground. We walked along the roof until we reached the end of the block and looked down into an alleyway between the two apartment blocks. The next roof was fifteen to twenty feet away. Claudia backed away hurriedly.

"How on earth are we going to get off this roof?" she asked.

I smiled and said "We jump!"

She looked at me with an expression of absolute horror. "I couldn't possibly jump that far, no one could!"

"No one human could." I said. "Claudia, you must begin to accept that you're no longer human. You can see thing, hear things, sense things, do things you could never have done before. You can do this, believe me you can jump that far easily, watch."

I stepped up onto the low side parapet and jumped off the edge of the roof. I heard Claudia's cry of shock just as I landed neatly on the other roof and turned around. She was staring at me in astonishment. I smiled at her and jumped back onto her roof.

"You see?" I laughed. "Come on, give me your hand!"

"Are you sure about this?" she asked nervously.

"Yes, quite sure. You're nowhere near as strong as I am since I am so much older than you, but you can do this easily, trust me."

She took a deep breath and held out her hand. I took it in mine and turned to her. "Want to take a run at it?" I asked with a grin.

"Okay!" she said. We went back a few steps and ran forward, stepped up onto the parapet and jumped. There was a rush of air around us and we landed safely on the other side.

"Wow!" Claudia leapt into my arms with a huge grin on her face. "That was amazing! Can we do it again?"

I couldn't help smiling at her infectious excitement. "Well we'll have to if we're to get off this roof!"

"Yes!" She reached up, took my face in her hands and kissed me. For a moment I just stood there, enjoying the feel of her lips on mine and then she seemed to wake up and pulled back. "Oh…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…." She looked down, embarrassed.

I laughed "Please, don't apologise, I enjoyed it. But now is perhaps not the best time? We need to get out of here."

I took her hand again and we ran across the roof and flung ourselves across the gap on to the next building laughing like a couple of children. We raced down to the end of the street jumping from building to building, her obvious pleasure in her new strength infecting me with some of her excitement.

Soon we were well outside the Police cordon and were able to leap down a fire escape to street level. Over the years, by means of judicious investments I had managed to accumulate a considerable amount of money some of which I had invested in many properties all over Europe and America, most of which were let and managed by professional agents on my behalf, but I kept a few for my own use and we headed back to the one I was currently using. Although it was on the other side of town, well away from all the activity, nevertheless I thought it prudent to leave London altogether for a while and we picked up my car and drove out towards Oxford to a house I owned out in the country on the river.

The Mill House was set on the river outside one of the villages that surrounded Oxford. As the name suggests it was built in the 17th century, next to an old Mill with the millpond at the bottom of the garden. It was a substantial, stone built property with a large stone flagged kitchen, a great inglenook fireplace in the open hallway and a sizeable wine cellar which I had converted into an underground, light tight bedroom with a modern en-suite bathroom. Claudia and I quickly settled in and began to gradually explore the area.

Although I had owned the property for some time I had never really lived in it. Just used it as a staging post on my way to London, but I found, over the next few months with Claudia, that I relished the peace and quiet of the countryside. Perhaps it was because I had been farmer in life, although the neat fields and hedgerows of the English countryside could not have been more different from my farm in Louisiana.

As Claudia was so young she needed to feed far more often than I did and we got into the habit of going into Oxford every other evening to hunt. It was term time and at night the bars and clubs were packed with students, many of whom had never been away from home before. The pickings were easy and Claudia developed a taste for young male students who, captivated by her striking beauty, were only to eager to follow her down the dark alleyways by the river where I would be waiting for them.

I often wondered later if the University authorities ever actually noticed the sudden increase in iron deficiency and anaemia amongst the student population during those few months.

Towards the end of the summer I considered that it was safe to return to London, not least because Claudia was, by now, quite capable of surviving on her own. I had no wish to force her to stay with me if she wished to leave and the Mill House, although charming, did not offer much in the way of entertainment or excitement. Although we had become lovers while we were living in Oxford I felt that it was more for comfort than because she had any strong feelings for me and, after my experience with Lorena, I wanted to give Claudia the chance to leave, should she wish to do so.

However, as it turned out it was I who would be the one to leave.

On our return to London we had kept the same type of hunting grounds, although we began to hunt separately since Claudia favoured the rather more upmarket bars and I, the underground clubs which were springing up around London at this time. I had found that these clubs were the ideal hunting ground for vampires. They were dark, noisy and so full of cigarette smoke that no-one could see exactly what was going on. Which was fine for most of the patrons and even better for me, and it was on one of these expeditions that I had the encounter which was to change everything. Which was to alter the course of my life dramatically and for ever.

That evening I had put on a pair of ripped jeans, a T shirt and a battered leather Biker's jacket I had found on a second hand stall on Camden market one night. To complete my camouflage I darkened my eyes with some of Claudia's eyeliner and ran my fingers through my hair using some gel to spike it up a little. I looked in the mirror and smiled at my reflection, I looked so different. Not that I was unrecognisable, but I just looked so unlike me! I set off to search for dinner.

I prowled around two or three clubs before finding one which seemed suitable. It was in a basement and I headed to one of the bars and bought a pint of bitter. It was a little quiet for my taste as there was a live band playing in the other bar and so I headed through the dark corridor into the second bar. As I passed down the corridor I noticed an empty pint glass on a shelf and, with a quick glance around I put down my pint and picked up the empty glass. As I had anticipated the other bar was packed and noisy with flashing lights and the thumping beat of the live band. I headed towards the bar and the barman turned to me and immediately noticed my empty glass.

He had spiky blond hair with a ring through one nostril and half a dozen more in one ear. He wore a battered khaki waistcoat with a couple of metal chains slung around his neck.

"Want another pint mate?" he asked holding out his hand for the glass.

"Yeah, I'd love one actually" I replied.

He took the glass and began to pull me another pint of bitter. "Ain't seen you rahnd these parts 'ave I?" he said.

"Nah, the truth is I've got ten years sober...well I did 'ave, thank you Mrs Thatcher!" I said with a smile.

"Fucking Thatcher!...that cunt could drive the Pope to drink!" he said bringing the pint over and handing it to me.

I laughed "You got a name?" I asked him.

"Callum" he said.

I raised the glass, "You'll have one with me Callum?"

He paused for a moment in thought. "Don't see why not!" he said reaching for another glass.

I leaned on the bar and we chatted for a while, the bar itself was not busy as most of the people were dancing to the live band and Callum didn't have much to do. After a while he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered me one.

I looked up at him and asked quietly "You got anything stronger?"

He took a rather shifty glance around the bar and gestured with his head to the back door. After a quick glance around to check that we were not observed I followed him out into the alley...

Callum seemed to me to be ideal for my purposes. He was strong and healthy, well able to look after himself and would quickly recover from my meal. There were many much easier targets in London at that time but, unlike most of my kind, I wanted to be sure that no harm came to my victims. After feeding I persuaded him to look into my eyes and he was lost.

After healing the marks of my fangs on his neck and giving him a little much needed advice on dietary supplements I released him. He turned and ran off towards the rear door of the bar and then turned back to me. "Right then" he said raising his fist in the air. "Fight on!"

"Fight on mate!" I replied raising my fist in response.

At that moment I heard a voice behind me.

"You don't kill them?"

I spun round, fangs bared to see a well dressed blond woman watching me. She tilted her head back and bared her own fangs.

"My name is Nan Flanagan." she said.

"Bill Compton" I replied cautiously.

"I know who you are" she said "I've been watching you for weeks."


	3. Chapter 3

I looked up at Bill who had fallen silent. "So was that the first time you met Nan?" I asked.

"Yes" said Bill, "she told me about the AVL's agenda and The Authority's involvement with the development of synthetic blood. It was, well...I don't know how to describe it really. To find out that there were others like me, who felt the same. Who wanted to come out of the shadows and live a relatively normal life, and that it might even be possible! It was...well, a revelation! More than that...it was a miracle, it was what I had been dreaming of for decades but never thought could ever actually happen."

I watched as Bill became more animated as he spoke of that night, the memory still bright and clear in his mind.

"Of course I knew that there were others who would oppose it. There still are. But when she asked if I was prepared to join them, to help the mainstreaming movement, I didn't hesitate for a moment. I knew, as well as they did, that the vampire monarchies would oppose the movement. They had a vested interest in retaining the status quo. They had immense power and influence which might well wane considerably if we were out in the open. Nan explained that the AVL needed spies to infiltrate the monarchies to "plant the seeds of discord from within." I volunteered to become one of those spies, in the kingdom of Louisiana, my home.

Sadly there are many of us who feel that we are superior beings. That, since we are immortal, we have the right to treat humans as animals, which are there to be hunted at our convenience. I've never really understood this attitude since we were all once human. At first I thought that this only happened in the oldest of our kind, that age brought some kind of detachment. But it seems that, in some people, the turning flips a switch in them, turning off their humanity. Perhaps they believed they were superior even when they were alive. I don't know, I only know that it didn't work for me."

"So what did you do?" I asked softly, unwilling to break his train of thought.

"Nan gave me her card with a number where she could be contacted. I called her the next night and she came to my house in Camden. I found it amusing that, despite all the information she supposedly had about me, she was surprised to see Claudia. Even more surprised that she treated me with the deference and respect a vampire shows to their Maker.

"I didn't know you had a child" she said. "We don't have you on record as a Maker."

I said nothing, merely looked at Claudia, waiting to see if she would have the confidence to speak up for herself.

"Bill's not my Maker" she said sitting down gracefully in an armchair opposite Nan. "But he's done more for me than any Maker could have. My true Maker abandoned me. I try not to think about what might have happened to me if Bill hadn't found me. We are...good friends."

Nan sat watching us, looking slightly flustered. Had I known at the time how rare an occurrence this was I might have enjoyed it more. As it was I simply asked her to expand on what she had told me the previous night.

After she had left Claudia and I talked for a long time. I knew that I wanted to be involved in this new movement. It's goals seemed to me to be what I had longed for for decades and to be truthful, I wanted to go home to Louisiana. I tried to persuade Claudia to come with me but it was obvious that she did not wish to leave London. I could not blame her for this, it was her home after all. I gave her all the information I had on the AVL and made her promise that, if she ever needed me, she would contact me.

Then at the end of the week, all the arrangements were made and we parted."

Bill gave a little sigh, of what might have been regret, and hugged me closer to him.

"And so I spent the next 30 years ostensibly working as Procurer for Queen Sophie-Anne of Louisiana whilst really I was working undercover for the AVL, reporting back everything I knew of her depraved Court to them, providing them with sufficient information to prevent her becoming an obstacle to the Great Revelation.

Unfortunately, I did such a good job that Nan managed to persuade me to stay on after the Revelation."

Bill paused, seemingly lost in thought for a moment.

"Procurer?" I asked "Is that what it sounds like?"

Bill turned to me, looking a little uncomfortable "Yes, actually, it probably is."

"Do I want to know about it?" I asked carefully.

"I doubt it. It's not something I'm very proud of." He lay down and rested his head against my shoulder. "I've done so many things that I'm ashamed of…I can only say in my defence that it seemed like the best option at the time. That I considered it was for the good of all our kind, humans too. And of course, if I hadn't done it, someone else would, although that's not meant as an excuse."

I reached over and began to stroke his hair, "the lesser of two evils" I murmured quietly.

Bill turned his head and looked up at me sadly "Yes, that was how I looked at it." He sighed "and then, somehow she met a girl called Hadley, who told her about her cousin, a waitress in a bar in a small town which just happened to be the town where I was born, where I had lived all my life, where I was happy, the place I felt I'd been trying to return to ever since. Sophie-Anne decided that she wanted this girl and dispatched her Procurer to fetch her."

At this point I had my own small revelation. "That was Sookie?" I asked.

"Yes" he said softly "A girl from my own home town, someone whose ancestors I had known in life, a girl who had lived her whole life within sight of my ancestral home, the house where I had grown up, where I had lived with my wife and family a century and a half earlier. She turned my life upside down for a second time."

I put my arm around him and hugged him.

"So" I said, thinking it best to change the subject. "You didn't see Claudia again until we met her in Amsterdam?"

"No" he answered, looking up. "We wrote to each other fairly regularly for a few years, it was difficult to try to talk on the phone because of the time difference and gradually I became caught up in the AVL and she became more independent and we simply lost touch." He smiled to himself. "She's grown into a beautiful, confident woman and a great asset to our cause. I'm so proud of her!"

I bent my head to kiss him gently. "I'm quite sure that, one day, you'll be equally proud of Azaria." I said.

We lay comfortably together for a while until we really had to get up, reluctantly, since I was very hungry and Bill had a meeting in town. I told him that I had promised to take Azaria shopping when I got back from the course and he looked horrified at the thought.

"You think I'm going to let two women loose with my credit card!" he said. "I may be a little out of touch, but I'm not completely crazy!"

"I'll only use it for her, I've got my own!" I said turning to the chest of drawers where I kept my clothes. As I bent to open the drawer I felt Bill's arms slip around me, pulling me back against him. He bent his head to my neck and kissed my ear. "Now you know I wasn't serious!" he muttered into my hair, sniffing at my warm skin. "I'd be perfectly happy for you to buy whatever you want. Especially if it's some more of this body lotion, you smell absolutely delicious!" His arms tightened around me and he began to kiss my neck in a rather more determined manner.

"Bill, stop that! You'll be late for your meeting!" I laughed.

"I'd much rather stay here with you" he murmured.

"No you wouldn't, believe me!" I said. "If I don't get something to eat soon I'll pass out!" I wriggled out of his grasp and pulled on some clothes. "Can you give us a lift into town?" I asked as Bill reluctantly headed into the bathroom.

"Yes, sure. I'll be up in a minute." He said. I grabbed my jacket and headed upstairs to the kitchen.

Azaria was already up and sat on the opposite counter watching me as I cut bread for toast and scrambled some eggs. By the time Bill was out of the shower and dressed we were ready to go. He dropped us in the centre of town and Azaria and I hit the shops.

After some consideration I've come to the conclusion that there must be something in the female genetic code which is hardwired to favour shoes. Azaria was an Inca princess who had gone for four centuries without ever setting eyes on a pair of Jimmy Choos but as soon as she saw them in the shop window she was determined to have them.

"Do you think perhaps a lower heel? Just to start with maybe?" I suggested, watching her walking gingerly in front of the mirror. "You've not had any experience at walking in these after all." She had selected a pair of silver sandals with a heel at least five inches high and thin silver straps up the instep to the ankle. I had to admit, they looked good on her.

"I can practice at home" she said excitedly. "Oh they make my legs look so slender, and long! Do you think Bill will be cross with me?" she asked.

I looked at the price tag on the box and winced. Then I watched Azaria admiring her ankles in the mirror and said "Leave him to me!"

I selected a pair of black pumps with a slightly lower heel and soft grey detailing on the side which would be just perfect with my dove grey evening dress and then we set off again. We spent several hours wandering about, stopping at one point in a small café for a coffee and a Tru Blood. They seemed to serve it everywhere these days. When I had first met Bill we had been hard pressed to find bars which stocked it but now, since he had become Sheriff, there was sufficient order among the vampire community that the human population had developed a much more relaxed attitude to vampires.

Our final purchase was a beautiful evening dress for Azaria. It was a soft black satin with silver detailing to match the shoes. The bodice was fitted leaving the arms and shoulders bare and there was a matching black satin strap around the neck. This was joined, front and back to the bodice by a mass of silver embroidery which flowed out from the collar and down one side of the bodice to the fitted waist. She looked stunning in it, the black satin showing off her bronzed skin and her glossy black hair falling down her back to blend into the satin of the dress.

We had arranged for Bill to pick us up at Carmillas after his meeting so we headed there and stashed our purchases in Bill's office. It still seemed really odd to me to feel confident that I was safe in a vampire bar but it was really the safest place in the area for us. Everyone knew us there and were well aware that we both belonged to Bill. The staff looked after us because Bill was the boss and the local vampires treated us with respect because Bill was the Sheriff.

We were able to sit at the bar with our drinks and relax since anyone else, vampire or human, who dared to try it on was swiftly dealt with by Ilario, the big Mexican bouncer who watched over Azaria like a mother hen with one chick. Anyone who dared to attempt to speak to her was given one chance and one only. If Azaria asked him to leave and he hung around when he was not wanted then he ran the risk of being comprehensively bounced.

Ilario obviously adored Azaria and when she had first arrived to stay with us, had been in awe of her and treated her like some ancient and powerful goddess, and I supposed that, to him, she was. Although the way she now teased him unmercifully about it meant that he was beginning to get over it.

We were just finishing our drinks when Bill arrived. "Had a good day ladies?" he asked with a smile, leaning in to give me a kiss.

"Wait 'til you see your office." I said. "We might need Ilario's help to carry our purchases to the car!"

Bill heaved a patient sigh and turned to Azaria. "I hope she's not teaching you all her bad habits!" he said.

"Like what?" she asked innocently.

"Oh...like buying half a dozen pairs of the same shoes in different colours." He suggested with a laugh. Azaria's eyes lit up, she hadn't thought of that, she had a lot to learn, I thought with a smile.

"Don't give her ideas!" I said. "She's doing quite well on her own."

We finished our drinks and Bill helped us load our bags into the car and drove us home. He had some paperwork to do resulting from his meeting so he left us together in the lounge and took his briefcase and laptop into the study.

Azaria and I sat down on the sofa together and she looked at me for a moment and then said rather tentatively. "I need to tell you something, but you have to promise you won't be angry with me?"

"Well, okay." I said. I didn't want her to be afraid to tell me things, after all.

"While you were away Bill and I talked about lots of things. I know you wanted to give us some time together..." she looked up at me questioningly.

"Well, yes. That was part of the reason I accepted the place on the training course." I said.

"We talked about all kinds of things, including Lazlo...my relationship with him." She looked down at her hands. "Our physical relationship."

"I see." I said. I took a deep breath, this wasn't fair, I wasn't old enough to have a teenage daughter! "You want to talk about sex?"

"I didn't know anything about it! I'd been very sheltered by my father's servants. Oh, I knew that someday I would have to marry some nobleman chosen by my father, but I knew nothing about...sex."

"Until Lazlo...?"

She sighed. "I saw him one day as I was out walking with my friends. I wasn't really supposed to go out alone of course, although I did manage to get out sometimes by myself. He was sitting on a rock by the river watching us. I'd never seen anyone like him in my life before. All our people were dark with black hair and brown eyes. He had yellow hair and his eyes!..….they were pale, not bright blue like Bill's but a paler grey, like yours. I just couldn't get him out of my mind and for days I looked for him every time we left the palace. Finally I sneaked out late at night and went back down to the river and he was there, waiting."

She sat with her feet curled up under her on the sofa looking out of the windows into the night. "He was just so unlike anyone I had ever met before! His pale skin almost glowed in the moonlight. He spoke our tongue but his accent was strange, exotic. He told me he had come from very far away, across the sea, that he had seen me out walking with my friends and had fallen in love with me. That he had been returning to this place by the river every night in the hope that he would see me again."

She turned to me with a little laugh. "Oh you must think me such an idiot…..I was so naïve!"

"Not at all!" I said "I'm sure he was very convincing. Perhaps he really had fallen in love, who knows?"

"Perhaps he had." She said quietly. "It certainly seemed so to me, but I was completely inexperienced. I'd never even been alone with a man before. We met often after that, I would sneak out at night and go down to the river where he would be waiting for me. He told me all about his home and his travels and he kissed me, but soon he wanted more than that. He said he loved me, wanted me. I didn't understand what he meant at first but then when I did, I didn't want it, I wasn't ready. But he was so strong...he forced me" she whispered.

I stared at her in horror. "He raped you? A virgin? Oh my..." I reached for her and she leant towards me and let me pull her into my arms. "You poor child!" I said, the fact that she was in fact many hundreds of years older than me completely forgotten in the sudden rush of emotion. "You didn't tell anyone?"

"I never had the chance" she said, turning her face to me, her eyes pink with bloody tears. "He held me to him and told me that he wanted me with him always. He opened his mouth and…..I had never seen his fangs before, I was terrified. He…..he bit me and….I don't really remember what happened after that."

She sniffed and sat up. "He wanted me again of course, many times" she said in a small voice. "After he...turned me, it didn't hurt so much, but I never really liked it. Then, when I came to live here, with you and Bill, I started to read books and use the internet and I read that other women enjoyed it!" She looked up at me. "I couldn't really believe it, I thought they were just saying that to please men. But then Bill showed me that it could be…..."

I froze. "He did what?" I asked quietly. Oh my God, was this why she had made me promise not to be angry?

Suddenly she seemed to grasp the implications of what she had said. "Oh no! No, no, no not like that!" she looked up at me with those enormous, soft brown eyes. No, it was nothing like that!"

She looked down again uncomfortably. "You did promise you wouldn't be cross with me?"

I just looked back at her silently and she took a deep breath and said "I watched you."

"You watched me?" I said, puzzled, "watched me when?"

"The night you came back from your training course" she explained. "Bill had asked me to stay up in my room for the evening, to give you some time together. I'm not stupid, I knew what he meant, I've seen how much he loves you Alex, how much he missed you while you were away. So I sneaked out onto the landing and lay on the carpet looking through the banisters." She stopped, watching me with a guilty expression as I looked up through the arched doorway into the lounge to see the landing, right in line with the sofa, and the rug in front of the fireplace. Oh no...!

Azaria was watching my reaction in my face and reached out to put her hand on my arm. "Please don't be angry with me" she said "I was just curious, and when I saw you together...he was so gentle and tender with you, so sweet. Watching the two of you enjoying one another made me realise that there was so much more to lovemaking than what I had experienced with Lazlo. That it could be wonderful!"

Azaria and I were sitting together on the couch when Bill returned. Azaria got up and said "I'll just take those bags to my room and leave you two in peace." She smiled at me and left the lounge heading for her own, light tight room.

"Well" I said getting up and stretching, "I could do with a shower."

Bill gave a little smile and watched as I followed Azaria out of the room.

Sure enough, as soon as I stepped into the shower I heard the bathroom door open. I looked around to see Bill leaning on the doorframe, watching me.

"If you took up my suggestion and bought some more of that delicious body lotion I'd like to volunteer my services to rub it in for you" he said, giving me a sly little smile.

I took a sponge off the shelf and squeezed some lemon bodywash onto it. "Need your back scrubbed sweetheart?" I asked. Bill was naked in seconds and in the cubicle with me. I switched the shower on and stood under the hot water for a moment shaking my head to get my hair thoroughly wet. Then I turned to Bill and began to soap his chest with the sponge. I waited until his eyes began to close and then said quietly "Azaria seemed to enjoy herself today."

"Mmmm?" he said softly.

I began to move the sponge down to his stomach with long gentle strokes. "She found herself a lovely pair of shoes." I murmured.

"Just the one pair? I'm impressed with her restraint!" he replied, watching me slide the sponge down over his thighs.

I reached around him and began to scrub his back. "Well," I said "They were quite expensive." I felt him stiffen slightly at the sound of the word "expensive" and moved around behind him, running my fingernails gently down his back and over his buttocks.

He shuddered, "Um, how...how expensive, exactly?" he asked as I slid my soapy hand between his legs and began to carefully wash his balls.

I took his rapidly hardening member in my hand and began to soap it, gently at first and then more vigorously. "About four hundred pounds." I said.

"Wha...Ohhhh! Alex!" he leant forward, bracing his hands against the tiles as I soaped him more thoroughly than was perhaps absolutely necessary. He gasped and pulled himself together with an effort. "How much!" he asked.

"Four hundred" I said, pressing myself up against him from behind as I reached around him and began to massage his eager manhood with both hands.

"Four...!" suddenly I felt myself being lifted up and swung around until I was being held with my back against the tiled wall. Bill was standing under the shower head, water running down his hard muscled body and dripping from his hair. He leaned forward and fastened his mouth on mine, kissing me hungrily, passionately, sliding his wet hands down my body and underneath my buttocks, lifting me up level with him. Holding me firmly against the wall he stepped forward and drove himself into me with a groan, pushing me back against the tiles. I wrapped my legs around his waist, his skin slippery with soap, put my hands on his broad shoulders and hung on as he thrust himself into me. I laid my head on his shoulder savouring the feel of his thick shaft sliding into my hot, wet flesh.

"Oh...Bill!" I whispered. "That's...oh!" I could feel Bill's powerful arousal through the bond and his emotions were so strong that within a few moments I felt a familiar tightening deep within myself. "Oh...Bill" I cried again, more urgently this time. Bill gave a growl and began to thrust harder until we both collapsed in a heap on the tiled floor, the shower still pouring hot water down over our tangled limbs.

After a moment Bill picked me up and stood up, carrying me out of the shower cubicle. He pulled a handful of towels from the rail and headed into the bedroom where he laid me down gently on the bed. I lay flat out on the bed breathing hard while Bill began to carefully dry my body with the soft towels.

"Thank God she didn't want the black velvet pumps" I panted.

Bill paused and grinned down at me. "Why, how much were they?" he asked.

"Eleven hundred" I muttered "God knows what I would have had to do for that!"

Bill laughed, "Oh you wicked, wicked girl!" he said.

I turned my head and winced as I felt a twinge of pain in the muscles of my neck.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you" he asked.

"Just a little stiff" I said.

"Here, let me help you with that" he murmured climbing up onto the bed and kneeling behind me. He lifted my head and shoulders into his lap and began to massage my neck and shoulders. I closed my eyes and relaxed, the feel of his long, strong fingers kneading the muscles making me sigh with pleasure. After a while I felt something brushing against my cheek. I opened my eyes and smiled to myself, evidently Bill was enjoying this as much as I was! I moved my head slightly to one side, rubbing my cheek gently against his hard length, feeling a new surge of arousal flow through the bond. I ran my tongue along him, the skin feeling warm from the hot water and from my body, a slight scent of citrus remaining from the lemon body wash I had soaped him with so liberally earlier.

I began to lick at him more firmly and his rhythmic massaging of my shoulders began to falter as he relaxed into the pleasure. I turned my head and tried to take him into my mouth but the position was too awkward and Bill, ever the gentleman, lifted my head and shoulders from his lap and laid me down flat on the bed, kneeling over me. Knees spread out on either side of my head. I stretched up and began to lick at the underside of his shaft, curling my tongue slowly around his heavy balls with each stroke. He gave a soft moan and began to lean forward, angling himself down towards my waiting mouth and easing the head of his shaft between my lips. I closed my lips over him and sucked, drawing another moan from him and making him spread his knees further apart and lean further forward, trying to encourage me to take more of his length.

He slid his hands down my body, pausing to caress my breasts gently and then moving on downwards, his long fingers exploring the soft wet fur between my legs. He bent his head and planted a soft kiss on my belly and then slipped his arm under my hips. With one quick movement we were flipped over and suddenly he was lying on his back and I was astride him, his hands on my thighs. He gave a gentle push of encouragement and I fell forward putting out my hands on either side of his hips with a little gasp as his rock hard member seemed to leap up towards my face eagerly. As I took him back into my mouth I felt Bill's hands move up to my buttocks and his tongue began to move gently over my still twitching folds. I began to move my tongue in time with his, feeling the swollen head of his shaft rubbing against the roof of my mouth in the same slow rhythm.

He continued to caress me gently with his tongue until I felt the muscles in my thighs begin to cramp and I knew that they would no longer hold me up. Now my weight was completely supported by Bill's strong hands on my hips. We lay locked together, pleasuring each other and feeling each other's pleasure through the bond, Bill's talented tongue pushing me to the brink of ecstasy and then easing back over and over until I began to convulse in his hands and he eased his tongue away from me and sank his fangs into the soft flesh on the inside of my thigh pushing both of us over the edge completely. I felt my blood pouring out into his waiting mouth at the same time as his seed poured out into mine.

Bill gently lifted my limp body off his and laid me down on the bed. He got up and turned around so that he was lying alongside me.

"Well" I said, when I'd got my breath back. "That was... interesting!"

Bill smiled down at me "I'll have to take a look at these shoes, but I can tell you right now, they were worth every penny!"

I smiled back up at him "I'm glad you think so" I murmured. "I certainly thought so!"

"You enjoyed that?" he asked softly.

"Mmm...yes."

"Good." Bill began to trace patterns on the skin of my breasts and stomach with his long, elegant fingers. "I want to please you. I want you to tell me what you like, what you even think you might like. I want to be able to fulfil your most secret fantasies."

I gave a sigh "Oh believe me Bill, you do!" I lay still and watched this dark creature looking down at me, his brilliant eyes full of warmth and love who, only the previous night had held me down on this bed in his jaws, almost lost to the darkness which surrounded him and in the process had given me the most powerful orgasm of my life.

"So, do you have any secret fantasies?" he asked with a little smile.

"Oh Bill," I laughed. "I'm yours...I'll do anything you want...well, within reason. Don't go pulling out a pair of furry handcuffs or anything kinky like that!"

Bill's expression turned thoughtful. "You never know" he said "You might enjoy it! Being powerless can be quite...liberating."

I looked up at him, surprised. "Come on, you're so strong I'm pretty helpless anyway without the assistance of handcuffs!" I had a sudden flash of intuition "or are the handcuffs for you?"

Bill chuckled and leaned down to plant a kiss on my stomach. "I think you might like that!" He laughed and lay down beside me again. "Some other time perhaps?" he said. "Actually I need to talk to you about Azaria." He sighed and said "I've been trying to think of some way to bring this up but I can't think of an appropriate time. You spent some time with her tonight, did she talk to you?"

"Well yes, we talked" I said, wondering what he was getting at.

"While you were away she told me something of her past, something particularly which worried me." He paused for a moment. She told me that Lazlo had raped her" He looked at me helplessly "I...I didn't know what to say, what to do. Perhaps you should talk to her. Maybe another woman... I just don't know what I can do to help her."

I thought of my earlier conversation with Azaria and couldn't help giggling "Oh, I think you've done enough already!" I said.

"What? I haven't done anything." he said, puzzled, "What are you talking about?" He looked so worried and confused, bless him, that I decided that, despite having thought earlier that this was something that I would never mention, I would have to tell him.

"Well" I said with a smile "I don't think you'll have to worry about that any more." An expression of such profound relief washed over his face that I giggled again, I couldn't help it.

"You see, you..." I burst out laughing and Bill's patience finally snapped. He rolled over until he was on top of me, holding me down.

"Alex!" he said sternly "Stop that giggling right now and tell me what you're talking about!"

"Okay, okay, I will. But you have to promise not to be angry" I said, still giggling.

"Why would I…...okay, okay, I promise." he said.

"You remember the night I got home from the course?" I asked.

His face softened instantly and took on a reminiscent expression. "Oh yes, I think I can remember that" he said softly.

I took a deep breath and said in a rush "Well Azaria was lying on the landing carpet watching us through the banisters."

There was dead silence for a moment as Bill took this in. "What?" he said faintly, sounding stunned.

"She was..."

"Yes, I heard what you said...I just didn't believe it! You mean she watched us...?"

"Yes."

There was a pause, during which Bill rolled off me and lay down beside me again. "And that helped?" he asked.

"Apparently, yes."

Bill was now looking stunned as well as sounding it.

"Well there's no need to look quite so surprised. I admit I was a little shocked, not to say embarrassed, when she told me, but can see how it would." I said.

"I can't….how?" he asked bluntly.

"Come on Bill! Put yourself in her place. Her only experience of sex was of being forced by Lazlo. She thought she loved him and so she allowed it to please him. She obviously knew that he enjoyed it, but she certainly didn't." I gave a disgusted, and highly unladylike, snort. "You know Lazlo, does he seem to you like the sort of person to go out of his way to please anyone, other than himself that is? She'd had a very sheltered upbringing and she didn't really understand that women could enjoy sex as well, she just accepted that it was something we had to put up with to please men. An opinion that a quite lot of women seem to have to accept I must say." I said crossly. "It's all very well for men…...ouch!"

Bill gave me a nudge in the ribs "You're wandering from the point! Don't give me all that feminist stuff, you're preaching to the converted here!" He gave me his warmest, sexiest smile. "Or do you have some complaints about my technique?"

I giggled again "No….don't be silly! But anyway, when she started reading stuff about it on the internet…."

"What!" Bill sat up suddenly "are you telling me she's been looking up pornography on the internet?" he asked, horrified.

"Oh don't be so stuffy Bill, she's not a child. She's older than you are! You can't read, or go on the internet or even watch TV these days without coming across sex in some form. And that's what happened, when she found women who said they enjoyed sex, she didn't really believe it. Then she watched us….."

Bill looked at me with an embarrassed little grin on his face. "Well I was certainly enjoying it!" he said.

I smiled reminiscently "So was I, that's the point. She said that watching us had made her realise that, what she had experienced with Lazlo was not…well…..normal. That it could be better than that, much better.

"I hope this doesn't mean that she's planning to try out her new-found knowledge?" asked Bill darkly.

"I don't think so." I said. "At least not any time soon!"

Bill sat silent for a moment looking thoughtful and then startled me by suddenly bursting out into laughter.

"Hey!" I said indignantly "This isn't funny. She was very serious!"

"Yes I appreciate that" he said between laughs "But I've spent the last couple of nights, ever since she told me, worrying myself sick over how I was going to deal with it. Or how I could even bring it up so that I could ask you to deal with it! And all along I'd already solved the problem without even knowing…and I even had fun doing it!"

I started laughing as well "See, I told you you'd be good at this."

"Hey, I'd no idea it was going to be that easy!"

"But it is easy Bill" I said, suddenly serious "you don't have to be a stern father figure or a mentor or anything like that. You just have to be yourself. She adores you, she respects you and she wants to be like you. I always knew that you would set her a good example...although I admit that wasn't quite the example I had in mind!"

Bill kissed me gently "And I always knew you would be a great help to me." he said as he pulled me closer.

Everything was relatively normal for the next few weeks. Well, as normal as my life ever gets. But, as usual, just as I was thinking that everything was going well, the bombshell dropped on me. One day at work I received an e-mail saying that there was going to be a major re-organisation in the company and that my post was no longer required!

Bill and Azaria were still asleep when I returned so I sat alone on the terrace wondering what to do next and fuming quietly to myself. My emotions were swinging wildly from an irrational terror of unemployment, fear that I would never find another job and fury that someone could do this to me. Just turn my life upside-down on a whim.

I sat and watched the sun sink below the horizon and, as it did so the terrace doors were flung open and Bill appeared looking terrified.

"Alex! Are you okay, what's happened?" He flung himself down on his knees in front of me. It suddenly hit me that he had been feeling all my conflicting emotions through the bond.

"Oh Bill darling! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you" I said, taking his hands. "It's just..." suddenly it was all too much for me and I burst into tears.

"Oh my precious! What is it?" Bill picked me up and carried me back into the lounge, sitting down on the sofa and cradling me in his arms.

"Oh Bill! I've lost my job!" I said with a sigh. "I'll be okay, it's just...scary, that's all."

"Come on sweetheart. You've dealt with things much scarier than this" he said, trying to comfort me.

"I know, but then at least there was something I could do!" I said angrily "There's just nothing I can do about this. I just can't believe it! They send me on an expensive, two week training course in computing and accounts and then they tell me I'm going to be made redundant!" I got up and began to pace up and down the lounge. "I suppose I'd better start signing on with some agencies to try and get another job!" I flung myself back down on the sofa with a scowl.

Bill was watching me carefully with a strange look on his face, as if he were trying to gather his courage for some dangerous task.

"Do you really need to find another job?" he asked quietly.

"And what else am I supposed to do?" I snapped back angrily. "Become your kept woman?"

Bill appeared to take a deep breath and braced himself. "You could work for me" he suggested quietly.

"What!"

"Now don't get cross with me Alex. It's only a suggestion." He said, backing away. "But yes, actually I do need an assistant. Originally I left the running of my various businesses to managers but increasingly I'm finding that I need to get involved myself. There's also a lot of extra work I need to do as Sheriff, obviously I wouldn't want you to get involved with that…."

"Good grief, you're serious aren't you?" I said quietly.

"Yes, I am." he replied. "You've helped me before now to sort out problems with things I've brought home on my laptop. You understand accounts, spreadsheets, databases, you've been very helpful. Plus I get the advantage of that two week course!" He gave me a careful little smile "Alex…I really need someone I can trust, really trust, to do all the things that I can't do, things that have to be done in the daytime, that I would have to pay someone else to do. You have to understand that it's difficult for us to have to rely on humans, difficult to judge their loyalty when it may only be because you're paying them."

"Does that mean you won't be paying me?" I asked.

"Of course I will! Well…..not me personally. My businesses are owned by a limited company of which I'm the sole shareholder so technically you'd be employed by the company and they would pay you."

"But you'd be my boss?" I said with a little smile. "I'd be, sort of, your PA?"

"Something like that" he said. I noticed that he had visibly relaxed now that he was confident that I wasn't going to have a tantrum or haul off and slap him. I reached up and took his hand and he sat down beside me.

"You seemed very wary of making that suggestion" I said. "Did you think I was going to get mad at you?"

"Well, I thought it was a strong possibility. I've always admired your independence and I was just a little worried that you might hate the idea." He replied with a grin.

"I'll have to think about it, it might not be a good idea, you realise that? Living with your boss?"

"I'd like to think of us more as…..partners." He said putting his arm around me and pulling me a little closer.

"Oh right!" I laughed "Partners, but you're in charge? Depends what kind of boss you'll be. Maybe I should interview you!"

"Shouldn't that be the other way around."

"Well you're the one who offered me the job! What did you have in mind exactly?" I asked.

"Well, I won't be sending you away on any long training courses, that's for sure!" He laughed. "He pulled me closer and leaned in to kiss me gently.

"Hmm…I can see you're going to be the demanding kind of boss" I said with a smile.

"Oh very!" he murmured, trailing kisses up my jawline towards my ear. "I'm extremely demanding!"

"So it would be mostly administration then, or do you have any other duties in mind for me?" I asked innocently.

"Oh I might have some specialised duties for you from time to time" he said, his voice soft and seeming to warm my skin. I could feel his lips curve into a little smile.

"That sounds like it could be fun…..but I really don't think I want to be paid for it! There's a name for women like that!"

Bill froze, his lips nuzzled under my earlobe. "That wasn't what I meant!"

I sighed. "Yes, I know that…but I wonder if this would actually be a good idea?"

Bill sat up and looked me in the eye. "I really do think you'd be perfect. You could be a great help to me, I know you could and I trust you absolutely to act in my best interests. But if you don't think it's a good idea, if it would make you uncomfortable in any way, then we'll forget about it." He gave a sigh and reached over to trace his finger down my cheek. "If I have to make a choice, I'd much rather have you in my bed than in my office!" he said bluntly.

I flushed, embarrassed "You really think I could do this don't you?" I asked seriously.

"Yes, I do" said Bill, those brilliant blue eyes fixed on mine. "I've said this before, you're an intelligent and resourceful woman Alex. You could do this easily, you could be a valuable partner to me in so many ways."

We stared at each other in silence for a moment. "Why don't you try it for a few months?" he asked tentatively. "You can look for other jobs at the same time if you like. Just see how you get on, if it doesn't work out then I'll have to find someone else. Or perhaps…no, maybe not." He paused.

"What?" I asked.

"No, that's going too far." He said shaking his head.

"Bill!...what were you going to suggest?" I asked "If we're going to work together you have to be straight with me!"

"I'm always straight with you!" he cried indignantly "You know that! It's just…..I was thinking." He looked at me seriously. "Now don't get mad at me okay?"

Now I was starting to get worried. "What on earth have you got in mind?" I asked.

"Well, since you've moved in here almost permanently I was thinking that, if you wanted to have more of a stake in the business, you might think about selling your house and investing the money with me. Then we would be genuine partners."

My mouth dropped open as I sat and stared at him.

"Alex…. say something please." I simply couldn't think of anything to say. "Okay, it was a bad idea, forget it!" he said quickly.

"No, no it's not a bad idea." I said slowly. "Actually I have been wondering if I should do something about the house. I was thinking I might let it out just in case…"

"Just in case you needed it?" said Bill quietly, his lips curling up into a little smile. "In case I threw you out into the cold?" he pulled me over to him and kissed me. "You know I never want you to leave!"

I smiled back "I know, but it's just such a big step. You know I trust you, I trust you with my life, but with my money? That's different!"

Bill laughed and put his arm around me. "Yes, I can understand that. It's a big step. Just think about it. We would have to arrange to tie up your money somehow so that it would be safe, but I'm sure we could manage something." He put both arms around my waist and pulled me closer. "And once I've got my evil hands on your money..." he kissed me tenderly "...then I can start on your body!" He began kissing me more passionately.

"Mmm...I'd just be your helpless slave!" I murmured pulling him down onto the sofa with me.

"Bill!...Bill where are you?"

We sat up suddenly as Azaria came into the lounge in a pair of soft jersey pyjamas holding Bill's phone.

"You left it on the hall table...it was ringing" she said handing it to him. Bill took the phone and flipped it open. He read the text and his face changed.

He looked up at us with a worried expression. "It's from Ulrich, he wants to speak to us, all of us, about Lazlo. He's on his way here, he says he'll be here in a few hours."


	4. Chapter 4

When Ulrich arrived we were all sitting in the lounge waiting. I'd had a shower and freshened up a bit, trying to forget about my problems for a while. Azaria was dressed in her favourite worn jeans and a t-shirt and was sitting nervously in an armchair with her feet drawn up under her.

We heard a car draw up in the driveway and Bill went to the door, we listened as he greeted Vincent, Ulrich's security guard who remained stationed at the front door and then he, Ulrich and another guard walked into the lounge.

"I'm sorry Bill" he said, looking around and nodding to me and Azaria. "But some problems have developed with our case against Lazlo.

"What?" said Bill. "After everything we've told you about him. Starting with our encounter in the 1930's!"

Ulrich sat down and said patiently "think about it Bill. So, he killed humans, his servants. Most vampires don't actually have a problem with that!"

Bill's voice had turned cold and angry "He killed a lot of humans! And if that is somehow okay with them, he attacked Charles and myself, he tried to feed from Alex when he knew she belonged to me. Damn it, he bit her in Azaria's crypt and threatened to kill her, you witnessed that yourself! He raped Azaria, turned her against her will and then, as soon as she showed the slightest defiance, he betrayed and abandoned her. He left her to suffer for hundreds of years Ulrich! Did you know that he knew the location of her temple? He knew where she was all that time and he did nothing!" He turned to me "The more I learn about him the more I wish you'd hit him a little harder with that pan and taken his head off with it!"

To his credit Ulrich was looking extremely uncomfortable. "Charles yes, we can charge him for that. You too and possibly for attacking Alex if he knew that she was yours, but as for Azaria" he turned to look at her for a moment. "Most vampires believe that they have a right to discipline their progeny."

"Discipline!" said Bill furiously "She spent nearly six hundred years locked in that coffin, surrounded with silver! A punishment that even The Authority has never inflicted on anyone, and she had done nothing to deserve it, nothing but express a wish to stay with her people!"

Ulrich gave a helpless little shrug and I saw Azaria get up from her armchair and walk towards him. His security guard moved confidently to position himself between them, barely glancing at Azaria as she reached forward and grasped his wrist. I watched, astonished, as she twisted her slim figure, pulling the huge guard off his feet and tossing him, effortlessly through the closed window onto the terrace.

Ulrich gasped as she took a step towards him, all the anger and disgust she felt for Lazlo written clearly on her face.

"Azaria!"

Bill's voice was calm and quiet but she stopped instantly and turned to look at him.

"Now you know we don't do that kind of thing in my house!" he glanced at the broken glass on the carpet. "You're going to have to pay for that window!"

She gave him a sheepish little smile and said "I'm sorry Bill, but I..."

"Yes, I understand." he said beckoning her over to him.

She walked to him, Ulrich stepping rather hurriedly out of her way, and he took her in his arms and kissed her gently on the forehead. "We will do everything we can to see that he's punished, trust me. But if we fail, then it will not affect you, he has no power over you any longer. Do you understand?" She nodded and smiled up at him.

Bill turned back to Ulrich. "So what's happened exactly?" he asked. "The last time we spoke you were preparing a case against him. Gerry tells me that you called him in and made Lazlo release him so that he could give evidence."

"It appears that a backlash is building up in his favour. Some friend of his has arrived from the US claiming he's been victimised by The Authority, that he's being used as a scapegoat to appease the human public."

"When both Gerry and Azaria, his own progeny, are prepared to give evidence against him? Who is this?" asked Bill angrily.

"I don't know him myself, though other members of The Authority apparently do. A Viking, calls himself Northman."

I was shocked at the extent of the anger which flared up in Bill's eyes.

"Eric?"

"You know him?" asked Ulrich, looking surprised.

"Oh yes, I know him. I didn't know that he knew Lazlo but somehow I'm not surprised! Well ladies," he said turning to us "it appears that we're going to London to join the fight against Lazlo."

Ulrich sighed... "I'm sorry Bill, I know how much this means to you and Azaria but I'm afraid there is no fight against Lazlo."

Bill glanced over at Azaria, who had gone back to the armchair in the corner of the lounge looking pale and shocked. He turned back to Ulrich with one of the most dangerous looking smiles I have ever seen, his brilliant blue eyes blazing with fury.

I'm going to start one! He hissed.

It was only a few days later that we were in London for the hearing against Lazlo. Bill, Azaria and I were staying at The Authority's headquarters as, to my annoyance, were Eric and Sookie.

We had arrived in Paddington at dusk and Bill and Azaria had disembarked from their travel pods on the train for the taxi ride. Azaria was excited by this new experience. She had never seen, or even imagined something like the Anubis travel pods before and she was fascinated. However the thought of having to face Lazlo again was seriously upsetting her. She couldn't seem to decide whether to be frightened of him or furious with him and so, when we met Claudia at the Headquarters building and she suggested we all go for a meal together, Bill and I jumped at the chance to take her mind off the hearing. We agreed to meet up at the restaurant she suggested in an hour and went inside to unpack.

I was stunned to discover that The Vampire Authority's headquarters in London were situated in the City, beneath the offices of a firm of stockbrokers! However, when I thought about it I realised that it was probably quite fitting really. We went in through the main entrance on Lombard Street and were directed to a small room with a pair of sliding doors and an elaborate marble floor. I was trying to decipher the pattern when I realised that the entire room was moving downwards. It was a giant lift!

In a few moments the lift stopped moving and the doors opened on what appeared to be the reception area of a smart Hotel or office building. We were given a large suite with an extra room for Azaria and, as soon as we had unpacked and changed we headed out to meet Claudia at the restaurant. It was not far away and when we arrived we found not only Claudia but Chris, Gerry, Susie and another man who looked vaguely familiar and was introduced as Dan, Chris's brother.

Susie was delighted to see me again and explained that she and Gerry had been seeing each other ever since they returned from Egypt. Bill introduced Azaria and Chris introduced Dan and we were soon having a great time on a table for eight in the corner of the room. The only drawback was that, since the restaurant was so close to Headquarters, most of the Authority was also there and Eric and Sookie were at the next table. I noticed that Sookie wasn't looking particularly happy since Eric was ignoring her and chatting to the Authority members instead. I saw her glance over at Bill a few times, particularly on those occasions when a burst of laughter came from our table. I also noticed that Azaria was being paid a considerable amount of attention by Dan and that she appeared to be enjoying it temendously. Well, I thought, since his brother had been dating Claudia for some time he must know what he was doing. However I did wonder how Bill would take it in his role as doting father figure!

We returned well before dawn and Bill decided that he wanted a shower before he slept. Azaria and I went to take a look at the boutique in Reception and said we would see him shortly.

* * *

I got out of the shower and dried myself off, pulling on one of the towelling gowns provided in the suite. As I was drying my hair I heard a knock at the door and went to open it.

"Spent any more of my money then ladies?" I asked as I opened the door.

To my surprise Sookie was standing in the corridor outside. "Hi Bill. Can I come in for a moment?" she asked quietly.

I stood back to let her enter and closed the door behind her.

"I guessed you'd be alone since I've just seen your new lady friend in Reception" she said.

"You mean Alex." I said sharply.

"Alex? That's the same girl who was with you in Amsterdam isn't it? Eric thought she was a call girl that you'd hired for the weekend."

I ground my teeth. "Eric is a misogynistic idiot. He believes that everyone thinks the same way he does."

"I noticed that she had your credit card" she snapped.

"As a matter of fact she's my business partner." I said stiffly.

"Business partner? Is that what you call it now?"

"Whatever is between Alex and me is none of your business Sookie." I really did not want to be doing this. "You shouldn't be here. Eric will be wondering where you are!"

"He doesn't care where I am" she said miserably. "The only time he ever comes round is when he wants sex. Other than that he just sends a lackey for me when he wants to show me off to someone!"

"I'm sorry Sookie..."

She ignored me. "She healed you didn't she?" she said "her blood healed you."

"Yes," I answered calmly "She was generous enough to give me her blood, although she hardly knew me at the time. And it healed me as yours would have, as I told you it would."

Sookie looked down at her feet, unable to meet my eyes. "I...I couldn't Bill, you know I couldn't...Eric..."

"Eric!"

Suddenly all the anger, frustration and bitterness that I had felt when she turned from me that night seemed to rise up in my mind and pour out of me in a torrent. "Eric wasn't there though was he? Eric wasn't the one who found you! He wasn't the one who was bitten and poisoned! He wasn't the one who spent years wandering the world, hiding from his own kind, until everyone he had ever known believed that he had met the true death!" I hissed. "Including you I might add, when you eventually bothered to ask! How long did it take Sookie?" I asked angrily "How long was it before you even noticed that I was gone? Weeks? Months?"

"He gave me his blood afterwards, to heal me." She said defensively.

"If it weren't for Niall and I there would have been no "afterwards" don't you understand that?" I struggled to calm myself.

"Where was he Sookie? Where was he when you needed him? Did he even bother to explain?"

"He was with Felipe de Castro, he couldn't get away, he could feel that I was in trouble but he couldn't get away."

"Oh I see!" I snapped " Like I couldn't get away when Lorena held me in Dallas you mean. Funny how that excuse never seemed to work for me!"

"I'm sorry Bill, I didn't understand then." She looked up at me helplessly and I sighed.

"It's too late for that now. You're bonded to him, married to him in fact, if what I hear is true!"

"That's not fair!" she cried "I didn't know what it meant! He just told me to bring the box and hand it to him!"

I actually laughed at this. "What, and you simply obeyed him without question! And he tricked you, again! What a surprise!" I heaved a sigh "Oh Sookie, you have no idea how much it hurt me to have to watch you dealing with him. I saw you put up with things from him that I knew you would never have allowed from me. Can you imagine how that felt? How it tore at whatever was left of my heart?"

"But it's different now" she said "Now that I know..."

"Now that you know what? That he's a lying, devious, manipulative bully? He always has been! I told you that from the very start, but as soon as he tricked you into taking his blood you started questioning my motives."

I blinked, feeling the bloody tears running from my eyes and said softly. "I'm sorry if you're not happy with your choice, but it was a choice you made, not me. I waited for you Sookie, I would have waited a lifetime for you if I thought there was any hope, but there wasn't was there? When you turned away from me that night I knew there was no hope left for me. I loved you Sookie, I always did. Everything I did, I did for you, I had never loved anyone as I loved you. You were my whole existence. I would have given my life for you, in fact I very nearly did. For a long time I thought it would have been better if I had. At least then I wouldn't have had to suffer the pain of knowing that you probably never loved me at all!

But you chose Eric. You fell in love with a man who never really existed, a man with no memories of who he was or who he had been. A man who had nothing in the world but you. But that's not who he is Sookie, you must have known that! He never was that person, and he never will be again."

As I turned away from her the door flew open and Alex burst in.

"Bill, honey! Are you okay? What's wrong?" She turned and saw Sookie.

"Oh!" she said, stopping dead in her tracks. "I see!"

"You see what?" I asked, without turning around.

She stood silently watching me for a moment. "I see why you're so upset" she said quietly. "I could feel it."

I turned and moved over to the couch. Of course, I thought, the blood bond. She could feel my anger, my frustration, my pain. I sat down on the couch and held out my hands to her, looking up. Her eyes widened as she saw the bloody tears on my cheeks but she said nothing, just took my hands and sat beside me. Azaria had followed her into the room and stood to one side, uncertain as to what was happening.

Suddenly Sookie seemed to realise what had happened.

"Oh no, the bond!" she said and ran to the door. Just as she reached it the door opened again and Eric strode in looking furious.

"What the devil's going on here?" he snarled, glaring at Sookie. "What are you doing in Compton's room?"

"I just wanted to talk to him Eric" she said, sounding totally defeated.

"You have nothing to talk about! Go back to our room!" he ordered, taking a step towards me. Azaria moved between us and Eric burst out laughing. "Oh look!" he said. "Compton's got himself an attack puppy!"

I stood up and put my hand on Azaria's shoulder. "I guess this must be Lazlo's child?" he said. "Don't worry my dear, you'll soon be back with your Maker." He gave her a smile and hustled Sookie out of the room.

I kissed Azaria gently on the forehead and gave her a little push in the direction of her room. She went without protest and I went into the main bedroom, undressed and got into bed in silence. After a while I felt Alex get in beside me and put her arms around me. I gave a sigh and rolled over into her arms, burying my head between her breasts until the dawn took me under.

* * *

Once I was sure that Bill was asleep I got up and went into the bathroom. I looked at myself in the long mirror on the wall, staring at the two streaks of blood on my breasts from Bill's tears. Then I washed myself and headed back to bed.

I slept for a few hours and then woke, tossing restlessly until I decided to get up and go for a walk.

I dressed and left the Headquarters building, picking up a takeaway cup of coffee and heading towards a small park I had noticed when we went to the restaurant the previous night. I found a bench set against a high wall and was sitting and relaxing in the sun looking up at the trees when a voice spoke beside me.

"Hello!"

I could feel a presence sitting on the bench next to me and the hairs began to stand up on the back of my neck. How could someone have approached and sat down without me seeing them? I turned my head slowly, there was a girl sitting beside me. She was wearing a plain cotton skirt and a flowered top but somehow, she didn't look quite right. She turned her head and looked at me and my mouth fell open. She had pale flawless skin, long wavy blond hair and blue eyes. Totally blue eyes. Her entire eyeball was a pale, china blue with a vertical slit for the pupil, like a cat.

"Um...hello?" I said warily.

She smiled at me. "Please don't be afraid."

"Okay" I said, sounding somewhat unconvinced even to me. "Who are you?"

She gave me a brilliant smile. "I am called Aislynn" she said.

I sat and waited for some more information but it didn't seem to be forthcoming.

"Well, hello Aislynn." I said. "What are you?"

She reached out and put her hand on my arm. "Don't you know?" she asked. As she touched me I felt a tingling warmth flow into me, spreading throughout my body and I realised that I did know.

"You're a faery?" I asked incredulously. There must be an explanation for this, I thought, perhaps someone had slipped something into my coffee!

"I am of the fae yes." She said with another brilliant smile. "As are you Alexandra. You have our blood, I have been sent to help you."

"Please don't tell me you're my faery godmother!" I exclaimed. "Even a hallucination couldn't be that clichéd!"

She gave what is usually described as a tinkling laugh and I swear I could actually hear little bells. Jeez I had to stop watching those Disney cartoons!

I made an effort to pull myself together and ask some sensible questions. "Sent by whom?" I asked, "to help me with what?"

"I was sent by Mab, the Winter Queen, The Queen of Air and Darkness" she said. "As to why I was sent. Many centuries ago, our Queen bore a child by a human, a girl who could travel between the worlds. For five hundred years she walked the earth and the realm of Faery until she fell in love with a mortal, a king of your people. She begged her mother to allow her to stay with him and Mab agreed, gifting her with a human life. She married her king and lived with him as his Queen for one of your lifetimes and she gave him a daughter who was also part fae, she was Mab's granddaughter. The child grew to be a beautiful young woman, destined to become a queen of her people. But then..."

Aislynn paused and looked away for a moment. She turned back to me and said sadly "She was taken by a monster, one of that race who drove us from this world, a vampire. He was drawn to her as he also had our blood. Long ago there were many more like her, like you. But he betrayed her and she disappeared from the world and all of Mab's hopes for her were lost."

She turned to me with a look on her beautiful face which was somehow quite frightening. "You know this vampire. He calls himself Lazlo, Lazlo Petrovic or Laurence Peterson."

"Yes, I know him" I said "you're talking about Azaria."

Aislynn sighed "She threw her life away, the foolish child!"

"That's a little unfair" I said. "She didn't know who he was, what he was. She thought he loved her!"

Aislynn turned back to me looking surprised "How could you possibly know this?" she asked.

"Well, she told me!" I said equally surprised.

The temperature suddenly dropped by about five degrees and Aislynn's face began to change slightly. Her skin took on a greyish tinge and a chill seemed to pour out of her. For the first time I could easily believe that she had been sent by the Winter Queen. She leaned towards me and I flinched.

"She lives?"

The whisper was hardly audible. Like the sighing of a cool breeze on my skin.

"Well, not technically but, yes. We found her, Bill and I and released her. Didn't you know? Isn't that why you're here?" I asked, confused.

"I was sent to help you see that Lazlo was punished!" she said, pulling herself together slightly so that the chill in the air began to dissipate. "We do not monitor the human realm as we used to. We had no idea... my Queen must learn of this!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" I cried, but I was too late. There was a flicker of blue light and a slight "pop" and she was gone.

Oh no! I thought. What have I done now!

I sat for a while waiting just in case Aislynn received further instructions and came back but there was no further sign of her and with the hearing tonight I needed to get some sleep. After an hour or so I gave up and returned to the suite and got back into bed beside Bill's still form.

At dusk we got up and began to get ready for the hearing. I showered and dressed in a smart business suit which I had bought in anticipation of representing Bill as his new business partner. I put on a thin gold bracelet and my great grandmother's opal necklace whilst trying to explain to Bill what had happened in the park earlier.

"She was one of the Fae? Are you sure?" he asked.

Well, unless she was wearing some crazy contact lenses she sure wasn't human!" I answered. "But I have no idea what, if anything, she wanted from me!"

We all braced ourselves and headed to the hearing.

The three of us walked into the council chamber of the Authority and looked around. It was a spacious room with a platform at one end. There was a long table on the platform with three chairs behind it. On the wall behind the table was a tapestry. It appeared to be very old but not ancient, and yet I thought I recognised the picture. The tapestry depicted a young woman on her knees wearing a full length, fitted white cotton dress. She was facing to the left with both arms stretched out before her, one above the other. From each arm fell a fan of feathers from her shoulders to her fingertips. Her long black hair was held in a circlet of gold in which was fastened a tall feather.

I nudged Bill. "Isn't that Ma'at, the Egyptian goddess of truth and justice?" I whispered.

"Yes that's right. She represents balance and order." he explained. "However I think she's going to have a tough time of it tonight.

As I was looking around the door opened and Ulrich walked in followed by another man and a woman, both vampires, and then Eric and Sookie.

"What's she doing here?" I whispered to Bill. "I thought only those involved in the case were to be present?"

"Eric must have persuaded the Magister to allow her in. He probably thinks he can use her telepathy somehow to help his case." Bill frowned. "He's very proud of her ability, sees it as part of his power over humans."

The doors opened again and Lazlo was brought in escorted by two guards and taken to a large chair beside the platform. He sat down and a bar was locked across the chair with a silver chain, holding him in.

At this point the male vampire came over to us and nodded to Bill, he turned to Azaria and me and said "Good evening ladies, I am Olivier Bertrand the Magister for Europe. I will be one of your Judges. The other two will be Ulrich, representing The Authority and Lydia, who represents the EVL."

He turned to Bill. "Mr Compton. I understand that you will present the case against Mr Petrovic and you Mr Northman" turning to Eric "will be defending him." He turned back to me and said "If you would like to take your seats?" and gestured to a row of seats to one side where Charles and Gerry were already sitting. Gerry grinned at me and pulled out a chair for me.

I turned towards him and as I did so Eric turned to look at me and stopped in his tracks. He was staring at my throat as if he could not believe the evidence of his eyes and I stepped back. I heard the Magister say "Mr Northman?" and I heard Bill's voice say something as well but Eric ignored them both and advanced on me, his fangs out. I backed away until I bumped into Charles who had stood up and come forward. Ulrich and the Magister both placed a hand on Eric's shoulders but he shook them off and reached for me again. He put his hand on my throat and slipped his fingers under the thin gold chain of the opal necklace.

"Where did you get this?" he whispered, looking shocked.

"It belonged to my great grandmother!" I said.

Bill shouldered Eric out of the way and stood in front of me. "What do you think you're doing? How dare you lay a hand on her!" he said, glaring at Eric furiously. He turned to me "You didn't have that necklace in Amsterdam did you? How can you have seen it before Eric?"

Suddenly he gave a gasp and said "Of course! It was you wasn't it?" He glanced at Gerry, "You gave Daisy the necklace, you were the man who told her you would come back for her. That you would marry her and take her to America with you!"

Eric appeared to have got over his shock and said carelessly "Oh come on Bill, you know I didn't mean it! When you want to get a girl into bed with you, you say what you think she wants to hear!"

Bill glanced up at Sookie who was sitting on one of the benches with a completely blank expression on her face. I thought I detected a trace of sympathy in Bill's eyes but at the time I was too shocked by Eric's actions to notice much. Charles put an arm around me and helped me into a seat.

"Is this relevant?" asked the Magister.

"In a way yes" said Bill. "Daisy, the girl Eric gave the necklace to, was killed by Lazlo."

"So how could she be her great grandmother?" asked Eric.

"Because I took the necklace from her body and gave it to her friend Edith. Edith was Alex's great grandmother." explained Bill.

"Edith?" said Eric looking thoughtful for a moment. "Oh yes, she was the boring one!"

"She was the one who survived!" snapped Bill.

"Right, we need to hear about this officially, not like this." said Ulrich, taking charge. He waved his arm at the two guards who were now standing on either side of the doors and they opened to admit a crowd of vampires who flooded in and filled the seating area.

For the next hour and a half Bill outlined our complaints against Lazlo. He told the story of the opal necklace and how Lazlo had attacked Charles and himself and tried to attack me.

Gerry filled in a lot of detail of the parties Lazlo had held at his house in Belgravia in the 1930's.

Bill described what had happened to me in the crypt of the little church in the Pyrenees.

And finally Azaria, haltingly explained her story. How she had met Lazlo and become fascinated by him. How he had raped her and turned her and then, when she refused to obey him, betrayed and abandoned her.

When she had finished Eric stood up from where he had been lounging in a chair, looking bored. "Almost everything of which Lazlo is accused comes down to crimes against humans" he said. "Yes, he attacked Bill, but then" he gave a little smile, "who hasn't?" There was a little ripple of laughter in the room.

"He attacked Mr Montague." He turned to Charles who was glaring at him furiously, "for which I'm sure he will apologise. Finally, he disciplined his own Progeny, is that a crime?" He looked around the silent audience. "The punishment may have been a little harsh, but who is to say that it was not justified? Times were different then."

He spread his hands out in a helpless little gesture, "Other than that...he killed humans! Isn't that what we do?"

Bill stood up. "Not any more!" he said.

Eric laughed "I'm happy to play the businessman to get their money, but we have always killed and fed on humans and we always will." he said. "Whatever you and your friends might think."

Bill looked at him calmly. "Eric, you are over one thousand years old. I can't believe that you can have survived for so long and still be so stupid."

Eric glared at him, his fangs out "We've lived like that among humans for generations" he snarled "we got away with it then, so why not now?"

"We got away with it because they didn't know! Because very few humans ever believed we existed. It's different now." There was a little ripple of discontent in the audience and Bill turned to them. "I know that many of you think that the Revelation was a mistake, but whatever you think it doesn't matter any more, we're out in the open now whether you like it or not and if we want to survive we must moderate our behaviour."

"Are you saying that you're afraid of them" asked Eric with a sneer. "Any one of us, even the youngest, is far stronger than any human!"

"Yes, I'm sure that you're much stronger than any human Eric, than any ten humans perhaps. But how about a hundred, a thousand. There are many more of them than there are of us. They know our strengths and, more importantly, they know our weaknesses. They always had the advantage of numbers, any one vampire was always vulnerable to a mob, you know this. But now …... now they won't come armed with flaming torches and pitchforks, but with crossbows with wooden arrows, wooden bullets, silver, flamethrowers. Think about this Eric, you saw the arsenal that the Fellowship of the Sun had in Dallas. How many of us do you think it would take to stand up to that kind of firepower. And it's so unnecessary when we can live alongside them in peace."

"Why should we have to! They could never defeat us!" growled Eric.

"Only a fool would believe that Eric. Do you seriously think that the people who invented the atomic bomb and put a man on the moon wouldn't be able to think up some way to wipe us out if they felt they had to? Of course they could!"

The Magister had been listening to this exchange with an interested expression but now he stood up and said "Enough! We seem to have moved away from our purpose here tonight. I think we have heard enough. It is time to pronounce our judgement. Lydia, would you speak first?"

Bill and Eric both turned to the platform and looked up at the single woman behind the table.

"Although I have much sympathy for Mr Compton's argument I have to say that I agree with Mr Northman." She said. "Mr Petrovic's failings seem to be in the field of human relations and therefore should not be of concern to this court."

The Magister turned to Ulrich. "Ulrich, what is your judgement?" he asked.

"I cannot agree I'm afraid. Mr Compton is right. We do have to consider the effect of our actions on humans. Mr Petrovic is a danger to them and is only likely to bring trouble upon us. He would be better kept out of harms way."

"Then the decision is mine" said the Magister. He sighed and said "Although I too have much sympathy with Mr Compton's position I have to agree with Lydia. Other than the attacks on Mr Compton and Mr Montague, for which a large fine will be levied, we have no authority to punish Mr Petrovic for attacks on humans. I feel we have no alternative than to free him."

Eric smiled at Bill and stood up. "Lazlo" he called, holding out his hand. Lazlo grinned at him as the guard unbolted the bar from the chair and he stood up.

"I have a request to make" he said. "Since I am now free, I should like to have my Progeny returned to me."

Bill snarled. "No! Absolutely not!"

As I watched him I felt a sudden chill in the room. I looked around and saw a faint blue light appear in the air in front of where Bill was standing with Azaria beside him. I had just enough time to wonder what was happening before what appeared to be a blue curtain formed in the air and a woman stepped out into the council chamber.

She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. She wore a long white gown shot through with shimmering blues and greens. Glittering jewels in the same colours sparkled at her throat and wrists, the colours seeming to shift constantly and as she turned I saw that her eyes were of the same irridescent colours shifting to match her jewels. They were like Aislynn's eyes coloured across the whole eyeball and slit vertically like a cat's, and her lips were the colour of frozen blood. The dress left her arms and shoulders bare and her pure white skin made the vampires look positively healthy. Her long silver hair flowed down her back and seemed to blend into the gown at her waist.

Eric moved towards her at once, fangs bared. She made a tiny gesture with her hand and Eric was flung up into the air, thrown the length of the chamber and slammed into the far wall where he fell in a crumpled heap and lay still. The two vampire guards stationed at the main doors stepped forwards and she raised her hand.

The guards froze. I don't mean that in any metaphorical sense. I could see the glistening layer of ice on their skin.

She turned to the platform and looked up at the Magister.

"Who are you?" he asked "and what do you want with us?"

"I am Mab, the Winter Queen, the Queen of Air and Darkness" she said, the sound of her voice making the hairs stand up on my arms. "I have come to claim my granddaughter Azaria."

"She is mine" snarled Lazlo.

Bill put his arm around Azaria's shoulders and said "she may be your kin Madam but she is vampire now. She belongs with us."

Mab looked at Azaria, who appeared to be trying to hide behind Bill. "It appears that you have a choice to make child. To come with me or to stay with one of these two."

Azaria didn't hesitate for a second. "I want to stay with Bill" she said.

Mab walked forward and regarded Bill with a new interest. "Who are you, vampire?" she asked. "Are you her Maker? do you care for her?"

"I am not her Maker, but yes, I care for her" said Bill quietly.

"I am her Maker!" said Lazlo. "She will come with me. I shall decide what she does in future. Anything you have to say should be said to me!"

Mab turned and examined him carefully. "Very well" she said. "Yes, indeed you are. You made her what she is, and you shall receive your reward."

As she spoke I noticed a kind of fuzzy haze in the air behind Lazlo like smoke, or perhaps steam. As I watched two creatures stepped out behind him. At first I thought they were human, at least they were human shaped, but something was not quite right about them. As the haze began to clear I could see what it was. They appeared unformed, like clay figures made by a child. Their faces were blank, and I don't mean their features were blank of expression. I mean that they had no features. It was as though they had been created for one purpose and would be discarded after that purpose was accomplished.

They each reached forward and took Lazlo by an arm. He gave a shriek and tried to pull away but he was unable to move. Where they held him the flesh began to steam. The smoke had appeared again behind them and they stepped back in unison pulling Lazlo effortlessly with them. When the smoke cleared again all three had vanished.

There was a shocked silence. "What happened to him?" asked Bill.

"I believe he found the touch of my servants was …... a little cold for his liking" said Mab. She stepped forwards towards Bill and stretched out her hand to his face. I saw him tense but he didn't move. Azaria stood slightly behind him, her small hand on his waist.

"And what will happen to him now?" he asked.

She gave that cold smile again. "Your colleagues here have decided that, as a vampire, he has done nothing wrong. He will find me to be a harsher judge!"

She reached out again and her irridescent fingernails just brushed Bill's brow. A few flakes of what appeared to be ice formed in his hair but he stood his ground. She regarded him for a moment with her head on one side and then turned to Azaria. "This one has a soldier's courage child. It is easy to be brave when you think you are the stronger" she glanced down at Eric who had remained on the floor in the corner. "But to be brave when you know you are the weaker? To stand before your friends to defend them when you know that you will lose …... that is true courage."

She smiled again and this time I thought I detected a faint trace of warmth. "You chose well!"

She stepped back and nodded to Bill. There was a flash of irridescent blue and green light and she was gone.

There were a few moments of silence and then pandemonium broke out in the council chamber. I jumped up and ran across to Bill and Azaria. I saw Eric get up and walk a little unsteadily over to the platform. Charles and Gerry came over to congratulate us, Charles grumbling slightly that he would probably never see the fine Lazlo had levied against him.

"Do you think we'll see him again?" asked Azaria a little hesitantly.

"Somehow I don't think so." I said. "I suspect that Queen Mab intends to keep him for a while at least!"

Bill put an arm around Azaria and I and gave us each a fierce hug.

"Let's go home" he said.


End file.
